U.S. Representative Mike Rogers, the House Armed Services Committee Chairman, recently participated in a bipartisan briefing with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Following the briefing, Chairman Rogers said that “Stoltenberg assured me of NATO’s continued cooperation” to aid Ukraine in its efforts to thwart a Russian invasion.
“NATO is the most successful alliance of modern times,” Rogers said. “The alliance stood together to defeat communism and win the Cold War, and our NATO allies stood with us after the September 11th terrorist attacks. Today, however, the alliance is being tested like never before. [Vladimir] Putin’s war in Ukraine and dangerous threats of nuclear first use against our allies and partners have proven how valuable NATO cohesion is,” Rogers stated. “Secretary General Stoltenberg assured me of NATO’s continued cooperation and support of our robust oversight efforts of aid for Ukraine. I thank the Secretary General for his leadership in supporting Ukraine, bringing Finland and Sweden into NATO, and increasing defense spending across the alliance. The Secretary General also highlighted the need for NATO to adapt to counter the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party. For too long, Europe tried to engage Russia and became economically dependent on Vladimir Putin for cheap energy. We need to ensure European mistakes with Russia are not repeated with China.”
The Chinese balloon that drifted across the United States last week until it was shot down has drawn international attention to China. That balloon was one of several balloons that the Chinese have launched over five continents. The balloons are widely believed to be gathering intelligence for the Chinese military. China has denied that and said that the balloons are civilian weather balloons.
“The balloon over the United States confirms a pattern of Chinese behavior where we see that China has invested heavily in new capabilities, including different types of surveillance and intelligence platforms,” Stoltenberg said during a press conference in Washington with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. “We need to be aware of the constant risk of Chinese intelligence and step up what we do to protect ourselves and react in a prudent and responsible way.”
“It is attempting to assert control over the South China Sea and threatening Taiwan, trying to take control of critical infrastructure, including in NATO countries, repressing its own citizens and trampling on human rights and deepening its strategic partnership with Moscow,” Stoltenberg continued. “So NATO allies have real concerns which we discuss today.”
In the Russia v. Ukraine war, Putin has called up several hundred thousand reservists and is believed to be about to launch a massive offensive against the Ukrainians. Due to this threat, the U.S. and its NATO allies have pledged western tanks – including the M1A1 Abrams, Leopard 1s and 2s, and Challenger 2s – to aid the Ukrainians.
“Ukrainians have proven extremely skilled and capable in operating the equipment, the weapons that NATO allies and partners has provided,” Stoltenberg told CNN. “I am absolutely certain that they will be able to do the same also with the main battle tanks from NATO allied countries, especially because many of them have a lot of experience already from the front lines operating Soviet-era armored vehicles and battle tanks. But, of course, that is a useful background when they start then training on modern NATO battle tanks. We have to remember that this is a war of aggression. President Putin invading another sovereign independent nation in Europe – Ukraine. Ukraine has a right of self-defense, and we have the right to support them in upholding that right; because if President Putin wins, it is challenging for Ukraine and dangerous for us.”
Stoltenberg is the Prime Minister of Norway.
Rogers was recently elected to his eleventh term representing Alabama’s Third Congressional District.
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