Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, attends a meeting with Myanmar Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin, right, in Naypyidaw, Myanmar, on August 3. (Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Reuters)
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan reflects Washington’s desire to demonstrate its “impunity and show its illegality”, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday , during a press conference with Myanmar Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin, according to Russian state news agency TASS.
Lavrov linked Pelosi’s visit to the U.S. response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, saying, “I can’t say what her [the Americans’] motivation, but there is no doubt that it reflects the same policy that we are talking about regarding the situation in Ukraine.”
“This is a desire to prove it to absolutely everyone [their] impunity and show its illegality”.
Lavrov said he saw no other “reason to create such an irritant literally out of nothing, fully aware of what it means for the People’s Republic of China.”
On Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Russia considers Pelosi’s visit “a clear provocation in the spirit of the aggressive US policy of an all-out effort to contain the PRC.” [People’s Republic of China].”
The ministry also asked Washington “to refrain from actions that undermine regional stability and international security and to recognize the new geopolitical reality in which there is no longer any place for American hegemony.”
A bit of context: China’s refusal to condemn Russia’s war on Ukraine has fueled speculation about its intentions toward Taiwan, and raised questions about how the world might react if it launched an attack.
Elsewhere on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on China “to join the united world” and oppose Russia, in a virtual address at the Australian National University.
The president spoke about China when he answered questions from students. He said China’s “neutrality” toward Russia’s invasion “is better” than if China announced its absolute support for Russia. But he said he believed “the nation, the people of China will make the wise decision.” He went on to say that it is “important that China does not help Russia.”