Written by Alessandra De Martini

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has revitalized the reason for the existence of NATO, generally considered by most of the international leaders as “obsolete” (Trump, 2017). Due to globalization, which greatly increases international economic, political and diplomatic relations, the armed conflict in Ukraine is also having repercussions on the Asia-Pacific area.

Last February, Presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping solidified their mutually supportive relationship with the issuance of the Joint Statement of the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China on the International Relations Entering a New Era and the Global Sustainable Development. In the document, Russia reaffirms its support for the one China policy in reference to the Taiwan dispute. In return, China opposes the NATO enlargement policy by opposing both the inclusion of Eastern European countries and the increase of the North Atlantic Council’s interests in Pacific Asia. As a result of this geopolitical shift, NATO had to revaluate its strategic agenda in both Europe and Asia-Pacific. The 2022 Strategic Concept can be considered the main pillar of a new, more cohesive NATO strategy.