Russia Urges U.S. to End Support for Taiwan Separatists Amid Rising Tensions
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, Leonid Slutsky, head of the Russian State Duma’s International Affairs Committee and leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, stated in an interview with TASS that Beijing-Washington relations can only improve if the U.S. abandons its support for Taiwan separatists. Slutsky described the Taiwan issue as a “long-standing and deep-rooted” dispute, accusing certain parties of periodically fueling tensions.
The Russian parliamentarian emphasized that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, a position he said would never change. Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian announced on Monday that the People’s Liberation Army’s drills near Taiwan were necessary to safeguard national sovereignty and a direct response to foreign interference in China’s internal affairs.
Lin stated these measures were essential to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as a firm counter to foreign forces attempting to arm Taiwan and push the Taiwan Strait toward conflict. He warned that Taiwan separatists’ ties with the U.S. were problematic and that Taipei’s actions were turning Taiwan into a “powder keg.”
The PLA deployed army, navy, air force, and artillery units around Taiwan for the “Mission Justice 2025” exercises, which included live-fire drills on Tuesday across five designated zones surrounding the island. This marks the sixth round of such drills since 2022, coming just 11 days after the U.S. approved an $11.1 billion arms sale to Taiwan.
China’s Eastern Theater Command stated the exercises employed fighter jets, bombers, drones, and long-range missiles to simulate a multi-directional coordinated assault on the island, serving as a stern warning to both Taiwan separatists and foreign interventionist forces. While China previously conducted blockade drills during last year’s exercises, this marks the first explicit acknowledgment that the drills aim to deter foreign military intervention.
