NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has stated that China's support for Russia's war against Ukraine is damaging Beijing's interests and reputation.

“China has become a decisive enabler of Russia's war against Ukraine. And it cannot continue to fuel the biggest conflict in Europe since the Second World War without disimpacting on its interest and reputation. Iran and North Korea are fuelling Russia's war machine with missiles and drones in return for support for the military industries. So we must be clear-eyed in our assessment of the challenges we face, and we must work with our like-minded partners to address our shared challenges and uphold our common values,” Rutte said on Thursday at NATO headquarters in Brussels at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The Secretary General noted that China is not an opponent of the alliance, but a “challenge.” “And it is supporting Russia's war effort by sanctions prevention, by delivering dual-use goods. And it will have an impact, it is having an impact on China's standing in the world,” he explained.

Rutte also pointed to the role that North Korea, along with China and Iran, plays in supporting Russia's military efforts against Ukraine. “We have no evidence that North Korean soldiers are involved in the fight. But we do know that North Korea is supporting Russia in many ways. By weapons supplies, technological supplies, innovation, to support them in the war effort. And that is highly worrying. And Russia is paying a price for this. Because they are not getting this for free from Iran, China, and North Korea. In return, it means that they have to deliver innovation, other capacities and capabilities. And therefore, it is a problem for Ukraine. Therefore, it is a problem for all of us. But in the end, it is also a problem for Russia itself,” the Secretary General believes.