Washington:  NATO leaders on Wednesday said China's deepening ties with Russia are a cause of "deep concern" and accused Beijing of playing a key role in helping Moscow's assault on Ukraine. 

China "has become a decisive enabler of Russia's war against Ukraine through its so-called 'no limits' partnership and its large-scale support for Russia's defense industrial base," NATO leaders said in a declaration from their summit in Washington. 

NATO leaders urged China "to cease all material and political support to Russia's war effort."

"This includes the transfer of dual-use materials, such as weapons components, equipment, and raw materials that serve as inputs for Russia's defense sector," the declaration said. 

China "cannot enable the largest war in Europe in recent history without this negatively impacting its interests and reputation," the alliance said. 

The statement came before the leaders of Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea are set to attend the NATO summit on Thursday. 

Washington represents the third year in a row that leaders from the four Asia-Pacific partners will be at a NATO summit.

Beijing has already angrily rejected the accusations from NATO, and says the US-led alliance is seeking an excuse to expand its influence eastwards. 

The United States has been pushing its European allies for years to pay closer attention to the threats posed by China. 

"I think the message sent from NATO from this summit is very strong and very clear, and we are clearly defining China's responsibility when it comes to enabling Russia's war," NATO's outgoing Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.

Source: NDTV