|
In a speech to a Moscow security conference, Putin also cited
the AUKUS security pact between Australia, Britain and the
United States as evidence of Western attempts to build a
NATO-style bloc in the Asia-Pacific region.
His comments formed part of a narrative that Moscow is
energetically pushing as it seeks to justify its war in Ukraine
and build new global alliances to counter what Putin called
Western hegemony and neo-colonialism.
While Western governments have condemned the invasion as an
imperial land grab and united in imposing waves of sanctions on
Moscow, Russia is actively courting countries in Asia, Africa
and Latin America with the prospect of closer trade ties, arms
sales and a vision of a new "multipolar world order".
Speaker Pelosi's visit this month to Taiwan, which China claims
as its own, was "not just a trip by a single irresponsible
politician, but part of a purposeful, conscious U.S. strategy to
destabilize and sow chaos in the region and the world", Putin
said.
"We also see that the collective West is seeking to extend its
bloc system to the Asia-Pacific region by analogy with NATO in
Europe. For this purpose, aggressive military-political
alliances are being formed, such as AUKUS and others."
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
[© 2022 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
