US Ukraine funding standoff risks Taiwan crisis: NATO

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
15 Feb 2024 18:53

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg cautioned that a failure by the United States to provide aid to Kiev could lead to similar crises in Taiwan.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg addresses a media conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels, on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

At a press conference on Thursday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned that if the United States fails to approve assistance to Kiev, what unfolds in Ukraine could similarly occur in Taiwan.

"What happens in Ukraine today can happen in Taiwan tomorrow so this matters for our security and matters for US security. and therefore I expect that the majority which is in the US Congress in one way or another will be reflected in the decision," Stoltenberg told a press conference that followed a meeting of NATO defense ministers.

The NATO chief is specifically referring to a protracted standoff between Republicans and Democrats regarding the passage of a bill meant to provide funding for Ukraine, which failed to pass in the US House of Representatives on Wednesday due to Republican demands for regulations on migration.

Democrats warn that a prolonged standoff over Ukraine would further strain the NATO alliance and risk granting Russia a victory in Ukraine.

The West has a historical tendency to fabricate foreign threats to justify military interventions abroad. Following the fabrication of the Russian threat, it is now turning to fabricate a Chinese one as well.

For years, China has been working to reunify with Taiwan, a territory it considers its own, despite it being governed by separatist forces.

The US has made it clear that it fully abides by the One China principle. However, multiple visits by US officials to Taipei in recent months have led to increased tensions between Beijing and Washington.

Tensions have become increasingly visible to the extent that the US Chief of the Space Force in the Indo-Pacific warned that persistent "lack of communication" with China could possibly lead to war.

Ukraine's bid for NATO membership

Elsewhere in his remarks, Stoltenberg said that an invitation for Ukraine to join NATO will be extended once unanimous support for this initiative is secured among all allies.

"An invitation will be made when all allies agree, and the conditions are met, we are now moving closer to that point," Stoltenberg said.

Several observers have previously warned that if Ukraine were to join NATO, it could potentially trigger the onset of a third World War.

Such remarks were not only echoed by Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev but also by EU actors, including Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and leader of France's far-right Eurosceptic party The Patriots, Florian Philippot.

NATO in recent months has ramped up its military presence along the border with Russia, particularly since Sweden and Finland have joined the alliance.

It has undertaken multiple military drills and opened new command centers across the eastern flank.

Stoltenberg has also called on NATO members to boost arms production to aid Ukraine amid exasperations in Congress over the Ukraine military fund.

New Training Center for Ukraine to be set up in Poland

The NATO chief further announced that the alliance has made the decision to establish a new training center for Ukraine in the Polish city of Bydgoszcz.

"Today we decided to create a new NATO – Ukraine joint analysis training and education center in Bydgoszcz, Poland," Stoltenberg said.

Despite tense relations with Ukraine, Poland continues to collaborate closely with NATO commands.

The country is currently in the process of building fortifications in the border zone with Belarus and Russia.