As Ukraine prepares for its spring counteroffensive against Russia, NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană warns China against the risk of providing military support to Moscow amid the brutal and illegal Russian invasion.
China and the critical decision
The NATO Deputy Secretary General noted that although there are no clear signs that China has delivered weapons to Russia, there are ongoing talks. Geoană warned that this decision would affect not only the relationship with NATO but also China’s reputation in the world. Arming Moscow is reprehensible since Russia is the aggressor in the Ukraine war.
The negative consequences
The United States has communicated to China about the negative consequences of providing lethal aid to Russia. In addition to prolonging the illegal occupation of Ukraine and causing the death of thousands of innocent people, China would stand with those countries that seek to eliminate Ukraine as a nation.
The desire for self-determination
Mircea Geoană supported Ukraine’s NATO membership and stressed that countries like Ukraine and Georgia should not be subject to the veto of a foreign power like Russia over their own destiny. The decision about how and where they want to live their lives is a matter for the citizens and elected leaders of those countries.
The situation in Ukraine
Front lines in Ukraine are fluid, and NATO has observed Ukrainian advances on the western side of Bakhmut, a beleaguered city. Although Ukraine has the ability to launch a counteroffensive, Russia also has the ability to put up significant resistance.
The military challenge
Military experts predict that the war in Ukraine will face an escalating struggle between quantity and quality in the coming months. While Russia will focus on low-trained recruits and recruits using older weapons such as the Cold War T-54 tank, Ukraine is betting on Western weapon systems and training.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine occurred shortly after the withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan, allowing the Taliban to reemerge. Mircea Geoană urged us not to ignore the mistakes made in Afghanistan and to learn from them. Leaving Afghan allies behind was a difficult and traumatic decision, and the consequences are still being felt.
