Whitaker named China and aggressive Russia as the main challenges for the US and the West
During the panel discussion "Breaking with the Past: Tectonic Shifts in US Foreign Policy" at the Munich Security Conference, US Permanent Representative to NATO Matthew Whitaker outlined the main global challenges for Washington.
According to him, a strengthening China will remain a strategic competitor to the United States for the next century. He stressed that the US response to this challenge will determine whether the next century will be the century of America or the century of China. At the same time, he named aggressive Russia as the second key factor of instability, recalling that Moscow has been waging war against Ukraine for almost five years.
Witaker drew attention to the boundless partnership between Russia and China, which, in his opinion, poses a serious threat to the West. He stated that US President Donald Trump advocates strengthening allies in both economic and military terms.
The diplomat stressed the importance of preserving Ukraine's independence and territorial integrity. According to him, in December alone, the Russian army lost 35,000 soldiers killed or seriously wounded, and in January another 30,000. He noted the courage and innovation of Ukrainians, which he observed during a trip to Kharkiv near the Russian border.
Witaker stressed that the war must end, as the scale of losses and suffering of Ukrainians is extraordinary. At the same time, any agreement to end the war must be acceptable to both Ukraine and Russia. According to him, China is effectively enabling Russia to continue its aggression, in particular through the purchase of Russian energy resources.
He also warned against the risk of synchronised actions by Russia and China, stressing that the US cannot wage a war of this scale on several fronts at once and therefore needs strong European allies.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said during the discussion that Taiwan's independence, like Ukraine's independence, is in the strategic interests of the United States. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stressed that there can be no discussion of Ukraine without Ukraine, and that the international community should not reward imperial policies that violate sovereignty.
