Politics

Stoltenberg to put cyberattacks at forefront of NATO summit

Washington, Jun 7 (EFE).- Cyberattacks against allies of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is one of the priorities to be addressed at a summit next week in Brussels, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in Washington on Monday.

“We see more frequent and we see more sophisticated cyberattacks against NATO Allies, also the United States,” Stoltenberg said after meeting with US president Joe Biden at the White House.

Stoltenberg also cited Russia for having used “military force against neighbors” and also China for “intimidating neighbors [and] undermining freedom of navigation.”

In addition, he stressed that China “will soon have the biggest economy in the world. They already have the second largest defense budget, they are investing heavily in new modern capabilities, they have the biggest Navy in the world. And they don’t share our values.”

Before his meeting with Biden, Stoltenberg visited the Pentagon to meet with the US Secretary of Defense General Lloyd Austin.

At that meeting, Stoltenberg said that Russia is behind “cyber and hybrid attacks across NATO countries,” and, referring to China, said that NATO does not see it as “an adversary,” highlighting the opportunities to engage on trade, climate change and arms control issues.

Biden will participate in the NATO summit convened for June 14 in Brussels as part of a European tour that will take him first to the United Kingdom for a G7 meeting, then to the NATO headquarters and finally to Switzerland for his appointment with Russian president Vladimir Putin.

The US president has framed this tour in his desire to rebuild relations with his traditional European partners, which deteriorated during the previous Donald Trump government.

The growing challenge posed by cyberattacks will also be addressed at the G7 summit in Cornwall, UK.

The US wants an action plan, including how to collectively address defenses against ransomware attacks, how to share information about threats and how to address the challenges raised by cryptocurrencies, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Monday. EFE

at/tw

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