China and Russia want a world ‘where might makes right’, says US defense secretary
At the International Security Forum in Halifax, Canada, Lloyd Austin, the US Defense Secretary, warned of threats from China and Russia. “Beijing, like Moscow, seeks a world where might makes right, where disputes are resolved by force, and where autocrats can snuff out the flame of freedom”, did he declare. Moscow’s war against kyiv “highlighted the challenge we face in the Indo-Pacific region”Mr. Austin added, referring to the “pressures” of China in this area.
“There are always rules in war. And if a great power can flout these rules, it encourages others to defy international law and international norms.”he said, drawing a parallel between China and Russia. “We are determined to defend these rules – and in particular the fundamental principle of non-combatant immunity”Mr. Austin continued.
For the latter, Moscow’s efforts to enlist the support of countries such as Iran and North Korea create new security challenges for the United States and its allies. “Russia has turned to Iran and North Korea to support its attack on Ukraine, including using Iranian drones to kill Ukrainian civilians”he said in particular.
The White House claimed in October that Iranian military personnel are “on the ground in Crimea” to help Russian forces carry out attacks using drones, which Iran denies. “The invasion of Russia offers a glimpse of a possible world dominated by tyranny and upheaval in which none of us would want to live”Mr. Austin said.