NATO Military Chief Labels China-Russia-N. Korea Alliance as 'Show'

(MENAFN) The head of NATO's Military Committee, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, has characterized a recent display of unity among Chinese, Russian, and North Korean leaders as a "show" rather than a true military alliance, according to reporting a South Korean news agency. His comments followed the presence of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Russian President Vladimir Putin at a Chinese military parade last week.

"It's not a military threat, because they don't have anything in common. They don't have standardization. They don't have interoperability. They don't have the same tactics," Cavo Dragone stated on Tuesday, while at the Seoul Defense Dialogue, an annual security conference. He added, "They cannot fight together the way NATO does after 75 years of training."

"It's a show, a show of flags, but nothing more than that... It is not an operational entity," he said, acknowledging that the three nations could still benefit from economic and diplomatic cooperation.

Cavo Dragone also underscored the increasing security ties between NATO and the Indo-Pacific region, calling this interconnectivity vital for today's global security environment. He urged a unified international response to dangers such as North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.

When asked about the potential for full denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, he expressed doubt, saying, "I don't know if denuclearization is possible." Instead, he advocated for stronger sanctions and isolating North Korea, urging Russia and China to consider the potential future impact on themselves.

"We have to make it clear that the only way to reduce, and eventually stop, it is through international pressure until democracy breaks out of North Korea too," he concluded.

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