NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has criticized China over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He also called on Japan to closely work with NATO to counter China and Russia.



The NATO chief said in an exclusive interview with NHK in Tokyo on Wednesday that China is not neutral but "one of the key enablers" of Russia's ongoing fight with Ukraine.



Rutte said: "They still try to project this position of neutrality when it comes to Ukraine and Russia. This is crazy, because they are not neutral."



He went on to say that China is delivering goods to Russia that can be turned into military use and assisting the circumstances of the country under sanction.



He indicated his desire to promote security cooperation with Japan, including in the field of defense industry, to counter China and Russia, saying Japan has a "huge and successful defense industry." He also noted that Japan's cutting-edge space technology will be helpful to deal with China.



He also said the administration of US President Donald Trump wants NATO to become more involved in the Indo-Pacific region, including Japan, to step up pressure on China.



Rutte is known to maintain a favorable relationship with Trump. He said: "I don't think there is a recipe. Just we like each other. I like to work with him, and I think that this goes both ways."



He stressed his intention to work with Trump to achieve a ceasefire in Ukraine and said, "We will all support him to a durable and lasting peace."



As to the possible impact of US tariffs on NATO member states, Rutte said he is worried because the measure could affect the budgets of member countries when they wish to increase spending on defense.