US Plans To Integrate Quad, AUKUS Into NATO, Says Russia

During his ongoing visit to India, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said in New Delhi that the West, particularly the US, is creating a ‘front’ to contain China.

During his ongoing visit to India, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said in New Delhi that the West, particularly the US, is creating a ‘front’ to contain China.

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New Delhi: Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has said that the US intends to integrate the groupings such as Quad and AUKUS into the military alliance of NATO.  During his ongoing visit to India, Shoigu said the US is planning to contain China and that’s why creating a front by escalating tension in Taiwan.  “The West's countermeasures for developing multilateralism could be evidently observed in the Asia–Pacific region. There the USA paved the way to disintegration of existing regional security system with the ASEAN member-states key role,” Shoigu said while addressing the SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting that concluded Friday. 

He said, “Military and political alliances, such as QUAD and AUKUS, initiated similar countermeasures. The NATO is willing to establish dominance in Asia–Pacific region, that is why QUAD and AUKUS are integrating into the NATO.” 

The Russia Defence Minister also held a bilateral meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh where they discussed strengthening of bilateral military-to-military ties. 

The Russian Defense Minister once again slammed the concept of a “free and open Indo-Pacific region.”

He said, “The concept implies the construction of the intergovernmental relations bloc system in which the Americans arrogate to themselves the power to determine the norms and rules of behavior.”

The SCO independent policies concerning regional and global security challenges could set an example for the international community, he said. 

“In order to contain China, a front is forming. The tension around the so-called Taiwan problem is purposely escalated, and territorial disputes in the South China Sea and East China Sea are being heated,” he stressed.

Shoigu added, “In our understanding, one of the major achievements in the Asia–Pacific region is bloc-free and equal interaction and it must be preserved.” 

Afghanistan Should Be On SCO Agenda 

The Russian Defence Minister strongly batted for keeping Afghanistan as one of the priority areas in the SCO, of which India became a member in 2017.

“To our mind, the topic of Afghanistan must be kept on the agenda of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation,” he said. 

Only comprehensive international and regional assistance can facilitate measures to overcome the challenges Afghanistan faces alone, he said. 

“I note that NATO countries, as a result of their twenty-year presence on Afghan soil and their subsequent rapid withdrawal, bear the greatest responsibility for the situation there. They should bear the main financial expenses of post-conflict reconstruction,” Shoigu. 

India is the current SCO chair. Next month it will be hosting the Foreign Ministers Meeting of the grouping in Goa, followed by a conference of the Heads of Member States in July. 

According to Shoigu, the threat of terrorism is also increasing from entities such as ISIS, al-Qaeda, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, and the Islamic Movement of East Turkestan.

NATO’s Arms Delivery To Ukraine Will Prolong Conflict 

On the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, the Russian Defence Minister said as long as NATO continues to supply arms to Ukraine it will only “prolong” the conflict. 

“We have repeatedly stressed that arms deliveries to Kiev only prolong the conflict, cause more casualties and destruction of infrastructure, and finally boomerang back, affecting the stability of Europe and the world as a whole,” he said. 

He also said, “The transferred weapons end up on the black market and go further into the hands of terrorist organisations, which poses additional risks.” 

In an effort to defend his country’s actions he said that Russia has been left with no option but to eliminate the threats emanating from Ukraine militarily.

“Our objectives are clear, and they will be achieved within the special military operation.

US military-biological activity is of particular concern,” he said.