According to the U.S. Ambassador to NATO, Ukraine is willing to reach a peace agreement, but it is unclear whether Russia is ready to do so — and it “may never be ready.” — China could call Vladimir Putin and end the war tomorrow — Matthew Whitaker said during the Munich Security Conference.
The U.S. Ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, said during an evening panel in Munich that Russia’s war against Ukraine is “completely enabled by China.”
— China could call Vladimir Putin and end the war tomorrow, end the sale of dual-use technologies. China could stop buying Russian oil and gas. The world has many tools to exert pressure on China — Whitaker added.
He expressed his belief that Ukrainians want to reach a peace agreement, but he is not convinced that Russians are ready for one and — as he warned — they may never be. — But I pray for peace, because this war must end — the American diplomat emphasized.
Asked about the situation in Iran, Whitaker said that regime change in Tehran would make the world a better place and improve the lives of Iranians.
— Iranian diplomacy that is not hostile toward its neighbors would change the entire face of the Middle East — Whitaker said. He also described Iran as “the leading exporter of terrorism.”
The ambassador also assessed during the discussion that NATO has not been as strong as it is today since the end of the Cold War. He said that U.S. President Donald Trump has taken a “realistic approach to the challenges” facing the United States.
— And we have many challenges. I believe today’s world is extremely dangerous — Whitaker stated.
— We have a rising China that will be a strategic competitor of the United States for the next century. How we respond will likely define our country’s fate — whether this will be another American century and what we offer the world, or a Chinese century and what they bring to the world — he continued. As another challenge, he mentioned “a very aggressive Russia” that has attacked its neighbor.