Russia could keep Europe busy if China attacks Taiwan, warns NATO chief

ISTANBUL

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has warned that Russia could attempt to keep Europe "busy" if China launches a military attack on Taiwan.

Speaking in an interview with Germany’s BILD newspaper on Sunday, Rutte said Beijing and Moscow were closely aligned and that any escalation in the Indo-Pacific could have direct consequences for European security.

"We also see the global connection between China and Russia. China is looking at Taiwan. And I am convinced that if China takes military action there, it will pressure its junior partner, Russia, under Putin’s leadership, to keep us busy here in Europe," he said.

Against that backdrop, Rutte said NATO must urgently strengthen its deterrence, warning that Moscow remains prepared to absorb heavy losses.

"The reason is Putin. He is prepared to sacrifice 1.1 million of his own people. And this year he has made very little progress – minimal territorial gains, less than 1% of Ukrainian territory compared to the beginning of the year," he added.

Rutte underlined that keeping Ukraine strong was central to European security.

"If Russia were to gain control of all of Ukraine, it would have massive repercussions for NATO – and we would have to spend far more than what we agreed upon in The Hague," he said.

He confirmed that discussions were ongoing about potential troop contributions. “Several European countries have indicated that they would be willing to contribute troops, if desired,” he said, adding that the structure of such a deployment was still being worked out.

Rutte also rejected speculation that Washington might disengage from Europe, praising US President Donald Trump’s role.

"I have to say: Trump is absolutely committed to this issue. He is focused on ending this war. He is the only one who was able to bring Putin to the negotiating table – and the only one who can ultimately force him to make peace," he stressed.