Robert Kaliňák warns against the deepening of Russia’s dependence on China and the formation of a powerful two-bloc. He claims that it is not in the interest of the West or European security.
Slovak Defense Minister Robert Kaliňák drew attention to the strategic rapprochement between Russia and China at the Defense24 Days security conference in Poland on Wednesday. He declared that Moscow is gradually becoming more and more dependent on Beijing, which is not in the interest of the West. The Warsaw correspondent TASR informs about it.
“We see how Russia and China are getting closer. They are not natural friends, but Russia is becoming completely dependent on China,” said Kaliňák, according to whom their cooperation is deepening. “I’m asking if this is what we want? If this two-bloc is a good solution. Or if it wouldn’t be safer to keep them apart a little more,” he said, emphasizing that NATO and Europe must think globally when it comes to security policy and also focus on relations with countries outside the alliance.
The West and global support
At the same time, the minister criticized that the West failed to get the support of important countries such as India or China in the matter of measures against Russia. According to him, the division of the international community is one of the reasons why they did not bring the expected effect. “We can try to be united in NATO and in Europe, but that’s not enough. We haven’t convinced India, we haven’t focused on China or almost half of the world,” he said.
In connection with the war in Ukraine, Kaliňák said that the conflict fundamentally changes the view of armies on the modern battlefield. According to him, the war in some aspects is returning to the models known from the First and Second World Wars, with drones and long-term attrition now playing a key role.
Strengthening European defense
At the same time, the minister called for the strengthening of the European defense infrastructure. According to him, strategic projects in NATO’s eastern wing should be financed by the joint efforts of the European Union and allies, not only from the budgets of individual countries.
