Russia and China strengthen military partnership in the face of NATO's actions in the Asia-Pacific

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Photo: AP

Speaking at a press conference on European security issues, Foreign Minister Lavrov stressed that China takes NATO's provocative actions in the East Sea very seriously, and is even more cautious when the military alliance pays attention to the situation in Taiwan.

“We understand that NATO’s games with fire in those areas pose threats and risks to the Russian Federation. This area is close to our waters and to the territory of China. We are watching with concern the rhetoric that the West is spreading, accusing us of preparing some provocations, such as the use of weapons of mass destruction. But it is the West, including the United States, Great Britain, France, that is doing everything to intensify its almost direct involvement in the war against Russia with the help of the Ukrainians,” Lavrov said.

According to Foreign Minister Lavrov, with the further development of NATO, the US will focus on Poland and the Baltic countries, which are the most racist and anti-Russian countries; while countries such as France and Germany are gradually losing their original role.

Foreign Minister Lavrov said Moscow was ready to play a responsible role in nuclear arms control, but it was impossible to discuss nuclear stability while ignoring Western involvement in the war in Ukraine.

“It is clear that it is now impossible to discuss strategic stability while ignoring everything that is happening in Ukraine. Because the goal in Ukraine has been declared – not to save Ukrainian democracy, but to defeat Russia on the battlefield, or even to destroy Russia,” Lavrov said.

Additionally, he said Moscow had previously expressed its readiness to discuss extending the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) with Washington, taking into account the latter's latest hypersonic weapons.

According to him, Russia was also willing to go further than the joint statement with the US in June 2021, which stressed that nuclear war cannot be won and should never happen, by stressing that any war between nuclear powers is unacceptable. However, he said it was "naive" for the US to expect Russia to discuss strategic nuclear issues when - in Moscow's view - Washington is trying to destroy Russia.

On November 28, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that the nuclear disarmament talks between Russia and the US scheduled to take place from November 29 to December 6 in Cairo (Egypt) have been postponed, citing the worsening state of bilateral relations as well as accusing Washington of anti-Russian behavior./.