NATO Secretary General says Russia-China relationship is 'serious challenge'

"We see that recently Russia and China have increasingly strengthened their cooperation both politically and militarily," Mr. Stoltenberg told Welt am Sonntag.

NATO Secretary General, Mr. Stoltenberg.

According to NATO Secretary General, cooperation between the two countries represents "new dimensions and serious risks".

“Both countries conduct joint exercises, mobilise long-range fighter aircraft and maritime operations, as well as share their experience in the fields of arms control and the Internet,” Mr. Stoltenberg commented.

The one-day NATO summit will take place at the headquarters of the North Atlantic Alliance in Brussels on June 14. The main agenda, as expected, is the approval of the NATO-2030 initiative, designed to replace the Alliance's outdated 2010 strategy, which did not take into account "new threats" (from Russia, China, terrorism, hybrid warfare and cyber threats), as well as planning NATO's work for the next 10 years.

NATO close to Russian border

In recent years, Russia has claimed to have seen unprecedented NATO activity along its western border. NATO is expanding such initiatives, calling it a response to “Russian aggression.”

Moscow has repeatedly expressed concern about the expansion of the Alliance in Europe. Previously, Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of the Russian President, clearly stated that Russia does not threaten anyone, but will not ignore actions that could harm the country's interests.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said that the plan to renew NATO's strategic concept in light of China's rise is a manifestation of Cold War thinking that has no way to continue in the modern world.