‘Irresponsible politician’: Putin breaks silence on Pelosi’s Taiwan trip

Russian President Vladimir Putin called US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi an “irresponsible politician” and her visit to Taiwan a “thoroughly planned provocation”, offering his first comments on the crisis, which observers say has strengthened Sino-Russian ties.

In his opening speech at the Moscow Conference on International Security on Tuesday, attended by defence chiefs from 35 countries, Putin denounced the congresswoman’s trip as “another deliberate attempt to fuel the flames and stir up trouble in the Asia-Pacific” following Washington’s efforts to “draw out” the conflict in Ukraine.

“The US escapade towards Taiwan is not just a voyage by an irresponsible politician, but part of the purpose-oriented and deliberate US strategy designed to destabilise the situation and sow chaos in the region and the world,” he said.

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“It is a brazen demonstration of disrespect for other countries and their own international commitments.”

Putin’s remarks came after similar comments by Russian officials, including deputy security council chairman Dmitry Medvedev, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who accused Washington of “a desire to prove to absolutely everyone [their] impunity and display their lawlessness”.

Chinese State Councillor and Defence Minister Wei Fenghe, who attended the forum virtually, reiterated Beijing’s discontent with Pelosi’s trip and all “Taiwan independence” activities.

“The Chinese military has never been afraid of any enemy. We have the certainty and courage to defeat all the enemies approaching us, and we will safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity with our strong determination, firm will and potent capabilities,” Wei was quoted as saying.

The US said Pelosi’s trip did not signal a change to Washington’s policy towards Taiwan, but Beijing has regarded it as an endorsement of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party.

Beijing sees the self-governed island as part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to take control of it. While most countries, including the US, do not recognise Taiwan as a sovereign state, Washington opposes any attempt to take the island by force.

Putin’s remarks are the latest sign of closer ties between Moscow and Beijing since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February. Ahead of the invasion, China and Russia said their relationship had “no limits”, which Chinese ambassador to the US Qin Gang later clarified, saying that Beijing was not interested in a confrontation and the two were “not an alliance”.

Beijing has not censured Russia over the war in Ukraine, but it has advocated for negotiations between the two countries in what observers say is an attempt to strike a delicate balance between Moscow and the West.

Brian Wong Yueshun, a geopolitics consultant and founder of the Oxford Political Review, said Putin’s comments reflected the long-standing relations between Moscow and Beijing, which were established long before the current crises.

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“Putin’s statement was as predictable as the monsoon season in Singapore,” Wong said. “Even prior to the war, the fundamentals in the Sino-Russian relationship meant that Beijing technically had the upper hand, whether it be in terms of economic influence or geopolitical leverage. The huge costs inflicted upon Russia as a result of the war have only exacerbated this power asymmetry.”

Maintaining the stability of their relationship is an increasingly important objective for Beijing as both China and Russia face US-orchestrated sanctions and political alienation from the West.

“Since the eruption of the war in Ukraine, China has viewed the maintenance of stable, robust ties with Russia as a linchpin of its constructing a resilient base against what it perceives to be heightening Western bellicosity,” Wong said. But he added that the allegiance was not absolute, as Beijing would not want to compromise its ties with other states.

Putin’s remarks show that Moscow and Beijing are aligned in defending their territories, according to Danil Bochkov, an analyst at the Russian International Affairs Council, a think tank close to the country’s foreign ministry.

“[His statement] indicates that Moscow feels the extreme importance of supporting China on this issue,” he said. “That’s because Moscow also feels it as a personal matter since protection of sovereignty and territorial integrity is what Moscow and Beijing have been prioritising in their foreign policy planning.”

Bochkov said Washington-led manoeuvres were proof of its expanding strategic ambitions in the region, which have caused concern for both Beijing and Moscow.

“Any attempts by the US to increase its heft in the Indo-Pacific are regarded as provocations and acts of bellicosity by China because it is its home region, and also by Russia because Moscow expects Washington – after gaining a stronghold [in the region] – to expand its pursuit for influence in other areas, including those of Russia’s strategic interests, such as former USSR republics,” Bochkov said.

The annual Moscow Conference on International Security, now in its tenth year, was attended by defence and military ministers from countries including Mali, Myanmar, Belarus, Venezuela, Cambodia and South Africa.