Russia, China threat ‘alarming’: Foreign policy expert

As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits the White House, foreign policy expert Mary Kissel discussed the "alarming" threat of China and Russia's relationship and warned the U.S. should "pay attention." 

"Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, is an expansionist power with a massive nuclear capability that has invaded its neighbors over a series of years and is using some very loose rhetoric about using those nuclear weapons. This is an important fight," Mary Kissel, former senior adviser to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, said on "Mornings with Maria."

Her comments come as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with President Biden at the White House on Wednesday, a consultation that is intended to bolster the United States' alliance with Ukraine. The Ukrainian President plans to speak in front of Congress as they prepare to send an additional $45 billion in money as a part of the planned omnibus bill. 

"It also shows the depth of the alarm that President Zelenskyy is feeling, given some of the rhetoric that's coming out of Capitol Hill. Because, let's face it, without U.S. support, whether it's on the intelligence side or the kinds of training or the military equipment that we're providing, we are the lifeline for the Ukrainian army, along with our partners," Kissel said Wednesday.

"And so I think by coming to the United States, his first trip since the war began, he's showing just how important that that support is, and he's trying to shore it up."

The Biden administration's decision to send more military aid does not come without political pushback. Many critics are questioning the bill, but Kissel argues that this war expands much farther than Russia and Ukraine, saying that there is a Russia, China, and Iran "condominium" forming.

"[Ukraine is] not just fighting Russia. There is a Russia, China, Iran condominium that is forming here. So this is not simply a bilateral fight. You have the Iranians supplying drones to the Russians. You have the Chinese doing exercises, naval exercises with the Russians," the foreign policy expert continued. 

CHINA’S LEADERS PLOT PIVOT BACK TOWARD BOOSTING ECONOMY

"And meanwhile, communist China is showing, just by sheer numbers of its military development, what its aggressive intentions are. So I think when we talk about Zelenskyy's trip, it's very important to put it in that broader context, because this isn't just a fight between the Ukrainians in the Russians. I think it's much more significant than that."

Bolstering Kissel's claim that the Russia-Ukraine war is a unilateral conflict, Japan announced an increase in its defense budget as a response to China and Russia commencing live fire joint naval exercises. Japan's decision to double their defense spending is an attempt to establish "aggressive footing" before China takes a page out of Putin's playbook.

US NOT TAKING CHINA THREAT SERIOUSLY ENOUGH, EXPERT WARNS: 'WE'VE BEEN VERY NAÏVE'

"Japan has had decades of essentially pacifist policies in place. They've stepped back and said, we're going to not just double defense spending, we're going to buy Tomahawk missiles, we're going to buy jet fighters. We are going essentially on a very aggressive footing because we look over the water and we see what communist China is doing. And it's not just these joint exercises with Russia… you can just go down the list," Kissel continued.

"It's very clear just by looking at the numbers what communist China's intent is. And frankly, we should be just as alarmed as the Japanese are," Kissel concluded.

GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE