A potential alliance between China and Russia has sparked concerns of a joint military action against Taiwan. Avril Haines, the Director of National Intelligence, highlighted this during her recent testimony to Congress. She noted China's desire for Russian involvement in Taiwan and the Pentagon's considerations regarding this development. Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kruse also expressed increased concerns about the joint force requirements in a scenario where Russia and China cooperate.
Haines emphasized the growing cooperation between Russia and China across various sectors, including politics, economics, military affairs, and technology. These developments have raised fears, particularly in Europe, where incidents like the targeted killing of a defected military individual in Spain and a violent attack on an opposition figure in Lithuania have occurred. Additionally, suspicions of poisoning arose after a journalist fell ill suddenly in Germany.
Since President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, attacks or intimidation against Russians, regardless of their status, are often linked to Russian intelligence services. Despite efforts to dismantle Russian espionage networks, experts believe that the Kremlin retains the capability to track and target individuals they view as traitors abroad.
Journalist Irina Dolinina shared her experience of harassment, indicating that even in locations like Prague, where she works for the media outlet Important Stories, there is a fear of surveillance. Dolinina and her colleague, Alesya Marokhovskaya, received threatening messages that included details of their travel plans, highlighting the reach of Moscow's security operatives.
"It was a mistake for us to assume that we were safe here," Dolinina admitted. Despite continuous denials from the Kremlin regarding overseas targeting of opponents, such incidents are often attributed to Russian involvement.