- Dmitry Peskov, press secretary to Russian President Vladimir Putin, accused the United States of “provoking” China. Speculation that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will visit Taiwan during her Asian tour.
- Neither Pelosi’s office nor the White House has confirmed whether she will travel to Taiwan.
- Russia has become embroiled in the tense relations between Washington and Beijing. Russia seeks to reaffirm its ties with China amid deteriorating geopolitical relations.
Dmitry Peskov, press secretary to Russian President Vladimir Putin, accused the United States of “provoking” China on Tuesday, amid speculation that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will visit Taiwan during her trip to the region this week.
“Whether she makes it there or not, everything about this tour and the potential visit to Taiwan has a provocative character,” Peskov told Russian reporters. “Russia is completely united with China.”
Peskov’s remarks came as Pelosi arrived in Malaysia for the second leg of her Asian tour, having previously visited Singapore.
Neither Pelosi’s office nor the White House have confirmed whether she will travel to Taiwan, though the Biden administration stated on Monday that the United States would “not be intimidated” by China’s “saber-rattling” following a severe backlash from Beijing.
Pelosi said in a statement released Tuesday that she will meet with Malaysian officials to discuss “security challenges, economic opportunities, and governance priorities,” though Taipei was not specifically mentioned.
Pelosi is expected to arrive in Taipei Tuesday night, according to Taiwanese media.
White House Security Advisor Jake Sullivan was also pressed Tuesday morning about whether Pelosi, the highest-ranking elected US official to visit Taiwan in more than 25 years, would make the trip amid rising tensions with Beijing.
“I cannot confirm that because the Speaker makes her own travel decisions,” he told NBC’s Today show.
Sullivan, who stated that the United States still adheres to the one-China policy, noted that House Speakers have previously visited Taiwan, and that several members of Congress visited Taipei earlier this year.
“It is on China to try to turn what is historically normal into a crisis or to use it as a pretext for aggressive action around Taiwan. They’d be the ones raising the stakes “He continued. “The United States has no desire to escalate.”
Russia has become embroiled in the tense relations between Washington and Beijing, as Moscow seeks to reaffirm its ties with China amid deteriorating geopolitical relations with the West as a result of its involvement in the Ukraine conflict.
“Instead of understanding China’s position, the US has chosen the path of escalation and is provoking the situation,” Peskov claimed. “There will be no good come of it.”
Rebekah Koffler, a former Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) intelligence officer in Russian doctrine and strategy, told Fox News that the controversy over Pelosi’s rumoured visit plays right into Putin’s hands by diverting attention away from Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
“Putin is ecstatic about Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan because it’s turning into a risky diplomatic showdown between China and the US,” she explained. “This trip forces Washington to deal with two nuclear powers at the same time, both of which regard the United States as mortal enemies.”
According to Koffler, the tension surrounding her trip allows Putin to publicly support China, which he “in reality views as a competitor at best.”
“Putin is watching very closely whether the US will go ahead with Pelosi’s visit in the end, to assess Washington’s risk tolerance and Biden’s resolve,” she added.
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