China News Service, Beijing, May 21, Question: NATO expands again, and still want to extend the "pliers" to the East?
Author Sweet Zhang Naiyue Lang Jiahui
Recently, the traditionally neutral countries Finland and Sweden have changed their positions and actively applied to join NATO.
Behind this, it has something to do with the United States' continued "fighting" and taking advantage of chaos for profit.
How will the further expansion of NATO affect the situation in Russia and Ukraine and impact the existing security system in Europe and the world?
Zhou Hong, director of the International Studies Department of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and a member of the department, believed in an exclusive interview that NATO, which is constantly seeking expansion, can be regarded as "brain madness".
The U.S., which pursues a "pincer strategy", not only "fires" the situation in Russia and Ukraine, but also tries to "turbulize" the world situation.
But it is worth noting that as NATO expands, its internal differences will also intensify, and there may be a situation of "NATO against NATO" in the future.
U.S. President Joe Biden, accompanied by Swedish Prime Minister Andersson and Finnish President Niinisto, speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House on May 19, 2022.
Chinanews.com: On May 18, Finland and Sweden formally submitted their application letters to NATO for "Joining the Treaty". What is the reason that prompted the attitudes of the two countries that were not eager to "join the treaty" to change? How do you view this move?
Zhou Hong:
Finland and Sweden were traditionally neutral countries. In the world pattern of confrontation between the east and the west, the two countries played the role of buffer zones.
Finland and Sweden are also members of the European Union, which has begun building its own security system in previous years.
From a security perspective, the two countries do not need to maintain their own security by joining NATO.
The reason why these two countries made a high-profile announcement to join NATO at this time is of the nature of a political statement - to stand with the West.
Chinanews.com: NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg made it clear that Finland and Sweden are welcome to join the treaty. What are the considerations behind NATO's efforts to win over the two countries? Will it impact the existing security situation in Europe?
Zhou Hong:
Will the expansion of NATO bring more security to the world?
The answer is "no".
The United States single-handedly planned NATO, and its purpose was to confront the "Soviet East Group".
After the reunification of the two Germanys, although the Warsaw Pact was dissolved, NATO continued to expand.
On the one hand, NATO has carried out strategic deception, and on the other hand, in places where there is an opportunity, such as Kosovo, it has made a big fight. It even threatened to live next to China and expand in the direction of Asia.
From the nature of NATO, it is a military confrontation organization.
French President Emmanuel Macron has called NATO "brain dead".
Maybe it should be called "brain madness" - don't expect NATO to shrink because it doesn't have the genes to shrink.
FILE PHOTO: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Sheng Jiapeng
Chinanews.com: At present, Finland and Sweden's accession to NATO has been blocked by Turkey. Will the two countries finally succeed in "joining the treaty"? NATO is already the largest military alliance in the world. Will it prompt more countries to fall to NATO in the future?
Zhou Hong:
Finland and Sweden will try their best to conduct diplomatic mediation, mobilize resources, and let Turkey make concessions.
But Turkey's attitude actually highlights the differences in values within the West.
The NATO membership of Finland and Sweden may eventually be resolved.
But the more NATO expands, the greater the internal divisions.
In the future, there will be a phenomenon of "NATO against NATO", that is to say, the ultimate opposition force of NATO will come from within NATO.
At present, although Finland and Sweden are very popular for "joining the contract", these two countries have not yet reached the point where they can directly face each other with Russia. Unless a world war breaks out in Europe again, there is still room for other traditionally neutral countries, such as Austria and Switzerland. neutral country status.
FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Chinanews.com: Russia has worried that if Finland and Sweden "join the treaty", the length of the land border between NATO and Russia will more than double, and it will mean that the two countries "give up their non-nuclear status". But Russian President Vladimir Putin also said that the joining of the two countries would not pose a direct threat to Russia. How do you view Russia's position? What actions might Russia take next?
Zhou Hong:
One opinion is that Putin will adjust tactical nuclear weapons.
Because Russia has shortcomings in conventional weapons relative to NATO, nuclear deterrence should come in handy if the front is drawn too long.
Another opinion is that Russia has enough diplomatic resources to continue dealing with Finland and Sweden.
According to Article 5 of the NATO agreement, if a country is attacked, it will be regarded as all countries have been attacked, but there are also provisions that member states can choose their own response methods - not once a fight occurs, all member states will send troops together.
So, Putin says the threat is not that serious.
Moreover, the two countries have long cooperated with NATO and maintained relations with Russia.
Chinanews.com: After the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the United States and Europe continued to increase aid to Ukraine, and the United States even claimed to support Ukraine's joining NATO. Why are the US and the West getting more and more involved in the Ukraine situation?
Zhou Hong:
The longer the Russian-Ukrainian military conflict lasts, the more unfavorable it will be to the people and the more favorable it will be to American interest groups.
The United States threw its arms stocks on the European market, and at least half of the so-called military aid of tens of billions of dollars will remain in the United States.
Send the depreciated arms in the inventory to Europe, and then continue to update the weapons and equipment.
Workers unload U.S. military aid to Ukraine at Boryspil Airport in Kyiv, Ukraine, January 25, 2022.
Plus, the U.S. sees this as an opportunity to completely overwhelm Russia.
Because after the end of the Cold War, the United States felt that Russia was vulnerable, and in recent years, Russia has regained the momentum.
So Western politicians have been extraordinarily active, taking turns visiting and puffing up to get Ukraine to make demands that Russia cannot accept in the hope that the conflict will continue.
Chinanews.com: In the NATO 2030 reform plan, NATO defines Australia, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand as "long-term partners in the Asia-Pacific", and explicitly mentions partnerships for further development and cooperation on a global scale. How will this affect the future global competitive landscape?
Zhou Hong:
The expansion of NATO in the west will affect the east.
After World War II, the United States led the transatlantic alliance and formulated the "Western Hemisphere Strategy".
Due to the existence of a powerful "Soviet Eastern bloc" at that time, the western frontiers of the United States were mainly in Turkey and Greece, as well as in Germany, mainly to block the Soviet Union.
Another direction of the U.S. "pincer strategy" is the East - stationing troops in Japan, launching the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and using the Taiwan region as its "unsinkable aircraft carrier".
It now appears that the US "pincer strategy" has not changed.
A strategic change in Europe will definitely cause other chain reactions, and countries with ideas will try to take advantage of the chaos.
The world is becoming increasingly unstable.
This is not only a contradiction between Russia and Ukraine, but also to muddy the waters of the entire world.
(Finish)