Blinken says US to share info on alleged spy balloon with allies | NATO News
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with NATO head Jens Stoltenberg to discuss the alliance, Ukraine and Chinese hot air balloons.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to discuss support for Ukraine, as well as efforts by Finland and Sweden to join the alliance. He also addressed the diplomatic tensions that occurred after an alleged Chinese surveillance balloon was detected across the United States last week.
“Last week, Beijing violated international law and US sovereignty with the presence of Chinese surveillance balloons in US airspace,” Blinken told reporters Wednesday at a news conference. press conference with Stoltenberg.
Meanwhile, China claimed that the balloon was a “civilian” means of collecting weather data and it was blown up.
blink speak The United States will share the findings of the downed balloon off the east coast of the United States over the weekend with the US Congress and allies around the world. He added that the US Navy’s efforts are underway to bubble recovery Fragments.
“We are analyzing them to learn more about [Chinese] surveillance program,” he said, adding that China presented “systemic and tactical challenges” to the NATO alliance.
The meeting comes as the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine approaches. Western governments responded to the conflict with a substantial influx of military support to Ukraine and efforts to isolate Russia on the world stage.
“Putin launched the illegal war of aggression almost a year ago,” Stoltenberg said. “Since then, NATO allies have provide unmatched support for Ukraine. About $120 billion in military, humanitarian and financial assistance.”
Blinken says US sent Ukraine nearly 30 billion USD in military aid since the conflict began last February, excluding humanitarian and economic aid.
The Russian invasion spurred several European countries, including Sweden and Finlandto promote membership of NATO, a common defense alliance with Cold War roots.
Blinken told reporters the US was “very focused” on bringing Sweden and Finland into NATO, calling the two countries “strong democracies” and “reliable partners”.
Those efforts were met with opposition from NATO member Turkey and Hungary. Unanimous approval is required among the alliance’s 30 members to secure membership for new countries.
Russia has long criticized NATO expansion. Its Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu, also warned early this week that the West’s shipment of military equipment to Ukraine risks causing an “unpredictable” escalation, “drawing NATO countries into the conflict”.
At Wednesday’s press conference, Mr Stoltenberg said NATO members should continue to increase military spending, citing the challenges of a “more dangerous and competitive world”.
In December 2022, the United States Congress passed a spending package increased US military spending, already the highest in the world, by 10%, bringing the total to $858 billion.