By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
BEIJING/MOSCOW/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – China warned Sunday through a state-run newspaper that the NATO military alliance could expand the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war into World War Three, just days after a former Russian president made similar suggestions.
The English-language Global Times paper linked to the propaganda department of the ruling Chinese Communist Party on Sunday published an opinion piece titled, “NATO is pushing the Russia-Ukraine conflict toward a ‘world war.”
It noted that NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg while visiting the United States, spoke about the “readiness” of NATO along with the investment in aid and defense.
“Clearly, this is not just about NATO seeking funds. This is a clear preparation of public opinion to expand the Russia-Ukraine conflict into a world war,” said the Global Times’ giving an insight into Beijing’s thinking.
A well-informed U.S. diplomat told Worthy News that Washington closely monitors China’s attempt to use the NATO focus on the war in Ukraine to attack democratically ruled Taiwan, the island that Beijing views as Chinese territory.
The remarks come after Dmitry Medvedev, former president of Russia and a staunch ally of current Russian President Vladimir Putin, warned in a social media post on Friday about the potential for a “big war” with NATO.
He condemned the organizers of “Steadfast Defender 2024”, NATO’s ongoing largest exercise since the Cold War involving some 90,000 troops. “Western politicians who have s*** their pants and their mediocre generals in NATO have once again decided to scare us,” he wrote on Friday on VKontakte, a Russian social media network.
MEDVEDEV WARNING
Medvedev, who currently serves as the deputy chairman for the Security Council of Russia, warned Moscow would respond to any potential aggression against its own “integrity” or increased NATO association with Ukraine, warning of a “big war” that would follow.
He said Russia would never strike first at NATO, but Medvedev’s remarks blurred the lines when his nuclear-armed nation saw actions by the alliance as an attack on Russian soil.
The warnings from China and its ally Russia came hours before Hungary’s opposition-initiated parliament session for Monday to put Sweden’s NATO accession on the agenda.
But lawmakers in Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s governing Fidesz party said they would boycott the gathering and “wait” with a final vote until a meeting of Orbán and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
Hungary, the last NATO member state to ratify Sweden’s entry, had been reluctant to expand the alliance after the country criticized the rule of law and media situation here.
Sweden’s embassy has in the past also organized a ‘black-list lunch’ in support of eight journalists, including a Worthy News reporter on a government-backed blacklist.
Hungary, seen as the closest ally of Russia within NATO and the European Union, was expected to vote for Sweden’s membership eventually, but likely weeks later than Western leaders wanted.
ROMANIA CONCERNED
With East-West tensions mounting, Romania joined the growing list of NATO countries who’s had a prominent official warn about the potential of going to war with Russia.
General Gheorghiță Vlad, Romania’s chief of defense, said during an interview with Europa Liberă România—a news service from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty—that his Eastern European nation isn’t prepared for a possible war with Russia and that it needs to take such a threat seriously.
Vlad’s warning follows remarks made last week by General Patrick Sanders, Britain’s army chief.
Sanders urged British authorities to prepare for a mass mobilization due to the possibility of Russia’s current conflict in Ukraine spilling over into other countries.
Military and other officials in countries such as Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium have made similar in recent weeks, highlighting growing concerns in Europe about the future.
Copyright 1999-2024 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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