Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan is provocative: Russian Foreign Minister

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday that US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan is a deliberate attempt by Washington to anger China.

“I see no other reason to raise such alarm almost without any reason, knowing full well what this means for the People’s Republic of China,” the Russian foreign minister added, during his visit to Myanmar.

Lavrov considered, during a press conference with his Myanmar counterpart, Wuna Maung Lwin, Wednesday that Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan reflects the US’ keenness to prove to everyone that it is not subject to any accountability.

“I do not want to make judgments about the motives of the Americans, but I have no doubt that it reflects the same line that we have seen concerning the Ukrainian situation, which is a desire to prove to everyone that they are above any accountability and that there are no taboos for them,” Lavrov said.

Pelosi’s arrival on Tuesday in Taiwan, which China considers an inalienable part of its territory, sparked an angry reaction from Beijing at a time when international tensions are already rising over the conflict in Ukraine.

On the other hand, the Interfax news agency quoted Lavrov as saying, on Wednesday, that the US did not offer Russia to resume talks on the New START treaty to reduce nuclear weapons.

The Kremlin had told the US, on Tuesday that time was running out for negotiations to replace the “New START” treaty to limit the spread of nuclear weapons, and that if it expires in 2026 without replacing it, this will weaken global security.

The 2011 New START treaty commits the US and Russia to limit the deployment of intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and nuclear-armed heavy bombers.
The treaty also places restrictions on nuclear warheads installed on deployed missiles and the launchers of those missiles.

The two sides reached the major limitations of the treaty by February 5, 2018, and the treaty was extended until February 4, 2026.

“Moscow has repeatedly talked about the need to start such negotiations as soon as possible because the time remaining is very limited,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

“If the treaty ceases to exist without a strong alternative, it will have the greatest negative impact on global security and stability,” he added.

Last year, New START was renewed just days before it was due to expire, and any new agreement is likely to require lengthy negotiations and a lengthy ratification process.

US President Joe Biden said on Monday his administration was ready to negotiate “urgently” a new framework to replace New START, but that Moscow had to show it was ready to resume working with Washington to limit the spread of nuclear weapons.