Spanish diplomatic chief Arancha Gonzalez Laya said the alliance should be firm with both countries on hybrid threats, cybersecurity attacks and disinformation
Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya said in an interview with La Vanguardia newspaper published on Sunday that NATO should show firmness against Russia and China on hybrid threats, but at the same time the alliance should cooperate with Moscow and Beijing, TASS reported.
“In addition to the classic military risks, other risks have been added, such as climate change”, – the minister stressed. – “We will have to be very firm with China and Russia on hybrid threats, on cybersecurity attacks, on disinformation. But at the same time we have to have a positive agenda with China on climate change. The question is not to define China and Russia as our new rivals, but to see what our relationship with them will be based on risk. We also need to cooperate with them.”
NATO leaders, following the Brussels summit, identified China as a potential threat to the alliance’s security for the first time ever. The NATO statement contained no new talking points on Russia, classifying it as a threat to NATO security, but acknowledging the need for a dialogue from a position of strength.