Russian Official Guarantees Vladimir Putin's Participation If China Starts War Over Taiwan Issue

A senior Russian lawmaker has pledged that, if China goes to war over Taiwan, Vladimir Putin will come to its rescue.

However, Vladimir Dzhabarov, the first deputy head of Russia's Federation Council's foreign committee, said the Kremlin's assistance would be conditional on Beijing providing in-kind help for the Ukrainian conflict.

Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping Foster Close Ties

Putin and China's President Xi Jinping appear to have formed close ties in recent years, but Moscow is anxious that Beijing has yet to openly support the Kremlin's "special military operation," which began on February 24. It comes amid rising tensions between China and Taiwan, following an unexpected diplomatic visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the self-governing island republic that Beijing claims as its own.

Dzhabarov, a close Putin friend, stated unequivocally that Russia is prepared to support China in any battle over the disputed island of Taiwan, therefore strengthening Russia's anti-Western coalition. The renowned Alexander Nevsky order was bestowed to the 69-year-old Russian legislator and former FSB officer in 2018 as a result of a presidential decree signed by Putin.

Dzhabarov made his assertion as China sharply attacked Pelosi's travel to Taiwan and announced a large military exercise that will block off the air and sea transportation owing to intensive live-fire drills in Taiwanese waters. Wang Yi, China's foreign minister, called the speaker's trip a total farce and echoed the oft-said Chinese diplomatic adage that those who play with fire will perish by it.

In a phone discussion with US President Joe Biden last week, Chinese Premier Xi Jinping used the same language. The Chinese foreign ministry criticized Pelosi early Wednesday for shamelessly proceeding with the trip, which was still unconfirmed as of Monday, stating it maliciously infringes on China's sovereignty and blatantly engages in political provocations, according to Daily Mail.

However, amid renewed tensions between Washington and Beijing over US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's travel to Taiwan, a Russian spokeswoman confirmed that President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping will not meet. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, standing with China in the face of Beijing's harsh language against the US over Pelosi's journey to Taiwan, stated that the US Speaker's visit demonstrates Washington's impunity to the rest of the globe.

There is no other purpose, according to Lavrov, for generating "such a nuisance practically out of nowhere," knowing full well what it means for the People's Republic of China, Republic World reported

Ukraine Urges China To Refuse Helping Russia

Meanwhile, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Australian university students that China should not aid Russia in its war against his country and should instead remain neutral.

Zelensky spoke to 21 Australian universities in an online conversation organized by the Australian National University in Canberra on Wednesday. When asked about China's attitude, Zelensky said he would like Beijing to join countries such as the United States and Australia in condemning the Russian invasion, which began in February.

In deference to Moscow, China has failed to denounce Russia's conflict in Ukraine or even refer to it as an invasion, while also criticizing US-led sanctions against Russia and accusing the West of inciting Moscow. According to Chinese President Xi Jinping, implementing sanctions may be a two-edged sword, and the global community would suffer as a result of politicizing, mechanizing, and weaponizing global economic patterns and financial flows.

Zelensky previously spoke at similar online university forums in Canada in June and Japan last month. He commended the Australian government for giving more assistance to Ukraine than any other country outside of NATO, as per New York Post.