NATO chief says Russia is ‘most significant’ threat at summit

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg arrives in Brussels on June 15, 2022 for a media conference. OLIVIER MATTHYS AP NATO will dramatically increase the ranks of its high-readiness forces from 40,000 to 300,000 as part of the biggest overhaul of its collective defense since the Cold War, the trans-Atlantic alliance's chief said on Monday.

The organization will strengthen its ability to respond to crises and conflicts, such as with more prepositioned equipment and stockpiles of military supplies and more forward-deployed capabilities, according to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

Stoltenberg said the three-day NATO summit in Madrid will be transformative and will include many important decisions, including NATO's new strategic concept for a new security reality, a fundamental shift in its defense and support for Ukraine.

Stoltenberg believes that NATO allies will make clear at the summit that Russia is the most significant and direct threat to our security. He will address China for the first time. He said that Beijing's challenges pose to our security, interests, and values without giving details.

Stoltenberg said NATO allies will consider their response to Russia's influence and China's increasing influence.

Shada Islam, a Brussels-based commentator on Europe-Asia affairs, said she was not surprised by the NATO narrative.

She said that NATO's narrative on China has been hardening over the years, keeping pace with the trend in the US and in many EU member states that see China as a partner, competitor and systemic rival.

Shen Dingli, a professor and former executive dean of the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, said that NATO's characterization of Russia is pretty similar to that of the US government documents, while its language about China differs from that of the administration of US President Joe Biden.

It will be the first time that NATO will single out China as a bigger challenge for the future, but NATO does not believe China poses a bigger challenge than Russia, reflecting the divisions between the US and NATO, said Shen, referring to a speech by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in which he called China a bigger long-term challenge than Russia.

On Monday, European leaders voiced views on China that contrast with the line from Washington.

The last thing we could do is to turn our backs to China the way we are turning our backs on Russia, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo told the Brussels Forum.

At the same forum, European Commission Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans said he disagreed with the US approach of slamming the door on China READ MORE: DPRK says US setting up Asian NATO, vows stronger defenses.

The applications by Sweden and Finland to join the security alliance will be discussed at a NATO summit this week, an issue that is unresolved due to Turkey's opposition.

Turkey, a NATO member, claims that the two Nordic countries have ties to the Kurdistan Workers' Party and the Syrian People's Defense Units, which Turkey regards as terrorists.

Stoltenberg said it was too early to say what kind of progress can be made at the summit.

Stoltenberg met Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson late on Monday. He said that the security concerns of allies must be taken into account as part of the NATO accession process.

He told Magdalena that Turkey's concerns are legitimate and must be addressed, as he said that no ally has suffered more at the hands of terrorists than Turkey.