Russian Lawmaker Voices Concern Over Western Attempts to Create NATO Analogue in Far East

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th January, 2023) Grigory Karasin, the head of the Russian upper house's foreign affairs committee, voiced concern on Monday over NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's trip to Asia, saying that the alliance was engaging in provocative actions with attempts to create an organization similar to NATO in the Far East.

The NATO chief is visiting South Korea and Japan from January 29 to February 1.

"Stoltenberg's trip to South Korea and Japan is a bad sign for stability in the Far East. Militant calls have already been made from there to expand arms supplies to Ukraine, to 'fight against tyranny,' and so on. Therefore, attempts to create an analogue of NATO or at least its backup in the Far East are gaining momentum," Karasin said on Telegram.

The Russian lawmaker added that given the geopolitical situation and the proximity of China, NATO's actions were "openly provocative," and there simply could not be another qualification for such actions.

Kim Tong Myong, a researcher of the Society for International politics Study in North Korea, also said earlier in the day that NATO was seeking "to apply the method of collective confrontation in Asia-Pacific," while Stoltenberg, with his visit to South Korea and Japan, was striving to convince Seoul and Tokyo to provide military support to Ukraine.

A number of Eastern European countries have increased purchases of weapons, specifically mobile howitzers and small arms, from South Korea in order to replenish their depleted stocks after months of sending their own military equipment to Ukraine. Customers in Eastern Europe prefer to purchase arms from Seoul because deliveries are fast and cheap, the Politico newspaper reported.