NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg participated in a panel organized by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), one of the leading think tanks in New York, where he was in New York for the 78th United Nations (UN) General Assembly.

Stating that North America and Europe are facing global threats, Stoltenberg said that NATO is building partnerships with countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Japan, but this does not mean that the Alliance will expand there.

"NATO will remain a regional alliance. This means that NATO will remain a North American and European alliance. If there will be an expansion, it will be with European countries. NATO will not be a global collective defense organization."

"If the United States is concerned about China, it must ensure that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin will not win the war in Ukraine," Stoltenberg said, referring to the threat posed to allies by the war in Ukraine.

Stoltenberg said that if Ukraine wins the war, NATO will have the second largest army in Europe, and with the recent increase in defense spending by European countries, there will be less to worry about with China.

The NATO Secretary General emphasized that it is in the US interest to ensure that Ukraine wins, which would make it easier for it to deal with China.