Putin slams US over Pelosi's Taiwan visit, accuses it of trying to prolong the Ukraine war

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday accused Washington of seeking to prolong the conflict in Ukraine and of fuelling conflicts elsewhere in the world, AFP reported.Putin specifically pointed out US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.

"The situation in Ukraine shows that the US is trying to prolong this conflict. And they act in exactly the same way, fuelling the potential for conflict in Asia, Africa and Latin America," Putin said in televised remarks, addressing the opening ceremony of a security conference in Moscow via video link.

"The American adventure in relation to Taiwan is not just a trip of an individual irresponsible politician, but part of a purposeful, conscious US strategy to destabilise and make chaotic the situation in the region and the world," he added.

Calling it a "carefully planned provocation", Putin said the visit was a "brazen demonstration of disrespect for the sovereignty of other countries and for its (Washington's) international obligations".

Moscow's war on Ukraine has left thousands dead and millions displaced, besides leading to a food shortage across the world. There have also been fears of a nuclear attack.

Speaking at the security conference, Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said Moscow does not plan to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

"From a military point of view, there is no need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine to achieve the set goals. The main purpose of Russian nuclear weapons is to deter a nuclear attack," Shoigu said.

Ever since Russia launched a military attack on Ukraine in February, US has slapped unprecedented sanctions on it. Putin has been trying to bolster ties with countries in Africa and Asia, especially with China, in the face of all these sanctions.

Moscow supported Beijing during Pelosi's August visit to self-ruled Taiwan, which China considers its territory.

(With inputs from agencies)