China, Russia Oppose NATO Expansion As East Pact Emerges
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
MOSCOW/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – An eastern pact emerged Friday with China and Russia warning the West that they oppose further expansion of the NATO military alliance.
Beijing made clear it supports Moscow though it deployed as many as 127,000 Russian troops near Ukraine, equipped with everything from tanks artillery to ammunition and air power.
China and Russia showcased their agreement on a raft of issues during a visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin for the Winter Olympics.
Putin said Western powers use the Western NATO military alliance to undermine Russia.
He also accused the United States this week of seeking war by not accepting Russia’s demands for security guarantees, including not taking Ukraine as a NATO member.
While the lengthy Chinese-Russian statement did not refer directly to Ukraine, the two countries accused NATO of espousing a Cold War ideology.
Ironically one NATO member state, Hungary, supports calls not to expand the alliance towards Ukraine.
Hungary’s government says it first wants Kyiv to change a language law that it says discriminates against Ukraine’s estimated 150,000 ethnic Hungarians and other minority groups.
On Friday, Ukrainian online publication European Pravda reported that Hungary effectively vetoed Ukraine’s accession to the NATO Cooperative cyber defense center of excellence (NATO CCDCOE).
The organization helps NATO allies to better prepare for cyber attacks.
Hungary did not immediately confirm the reports.
But the government made clear in recent weeks it doesn’t support Ukraine’s accession to both NATO and the European Union under current circumstances.
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