NATO Secretary General: "Alliance of Authoritarian States Including Buk, Jung, and Rus... Dangerous and Unpredictable"

Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), emphasized on the 6th (local time) that the alliance of authoritarian countries such as North Korea, China, and Russia is strengthening, warning that "(the international situation) is becoming more dangerous, unpredictable, and turbulent."

In an interview with the British BBC released on the occasion of NATO's 75th anniversary, Secretary General Stoltenberg said, "The authoritarian alliances that the West is currently facing are increasingly close, providing each other with military and economic support." He also stressed the importance of cooperation with Asian allies such as South Korea and Japan to counter this.

Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) (Photo by Yonhap News)

Secretary General Stoltenberg stated, "China supports Russia's 'war economy' by supplying key components necessary for Russia's defense industry, and in return, Russia is offering its future as collateral to China." He added, "Iran and North Korea provide ammunition and military equipment to Russia, and Russia, in return, spreads advanced technology, strengthening their close ties."

He emphasized the need for NATO to cooperate with countries in other regions, such as South Korea and Japan, beyond the North Atlantic, to confront the "strengthening alliance of authoritarian forces." Earlier, after the NATO foreign ministers' meeting on the 4th, Stoltenberg also mentioned the importance of cooperation with Asia-Pacific countries including South Korea.

Furthermore, Stoltenberg said that NATO allies would soon unite their will to establish a long-term funding plan to support Ukraine, which has been at war with Russia for over two years. He is persuading NATO countries to secure 100 billion euros (approximately 146.6 trillion KRW) in support funds for the Ukraine war over the next five years and expects to reach an agreement by July this year.

However, he also said to Ukraine, "It is necessary to determine a compromise point that can produce an acceptable outcome at the negotiating table."