NATO warns China against providing military support to Moscow

2023-05-16 18:20:20, Kosova & Bota CNA

As the world waits for Ukraine to launch its anticipated counteroffensive against Russia, NATO's number two official is warning China against providing military support to Moscow as Russia continues its brutal and illegal aggression. VOA Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb reports.

On Monday, Britain offered another aid package to Ukraine – this time with air defense missiles and long-range drones – just two days after Germany announced its biggest military aid package to Ukraine since the start of the war.

But as allies help shore up Ukraine ahead of an anticipated counteroffensive, NATO's deputy secretary-general is warning China not to do the same to Russia, which he says the world sees as the clear aggressor in the fight against Ukraine.

"We have not yet seen signs of China providing military weapons to help Russia, but we know that discussions are ongoing. This will be a very, very serious decision for China that will affect not only their relationship with us, but China's reputation in front of the rest of the world."

After the cold winter, officials say Ukraine is now conducting preparatory operations ahead of the planned attack.

"We also see a volatile situation along the front line. There are indications of a territorial advance from the Ukrainian side, on the western side of Bakhmut. We know that Ukraine has the capacity to launch a successful counteroffensive, but we also know that Russia has the capacity to mount a significant resistance," said NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoan?.

Military experts believe that the war in Ukraine will increasingly pit the quantity of troops against the quality of assets in the coming months.

"The Russians will concentrate, they will have to rely on quantity, on a larger number of recruits and on the mobilization of people who are not well trained, with old materials, but in large numbers. Ukrainians focus on quality with Western weapon systems and Western training. This is the big difference."

But NATO's top commander for Europe says that while Ukraine has severely damaged Russian ground forces, Moscow's air, naval and cyber forces remain largely intact.