Former Trump Defense Official Ranks Taiwan Over Ukraine; Elbridge Colby says a Chinese attack could come with little warning

WASHINGTON — The United States should end its support for Ukraine, which faces Russian aggression, and use its resources to deter China from pursuing unification with Taiwan, said Elbridge Colby, who serves as deputy assistant secretary of Defense for strategy and force development in the United States. the administration of former US President Donald Trump, during a recent interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun in Washington.

Colby’s name has been floated for key positions, including assistant to the president for national security affairs, if the 77-year-old Trump is re-elected president in November.

Explaining why he believes U.S. support for Ukraine should end, Colby said, “Asia is the most important theater now; it is no longer Europe.” He also said: “Europe is much better able to tackle Russia on its own. I’m not saying we’re abandoning Europe, but… [it can be] much more in isolation than Asia.”

His comments stem from his belief that although the United States is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, European countries, which are geographically closer to Russia, can handle the situation on their own.

Regarding the government of Chinese President Xi Jinping, which has not ruled out the possibility of using force to achieve unification with Taiwan, Colby said: “I think they must have come to the conclusion that there is no peaceful solution for unification with Taiwan.”

He acknowledged the need to strengthen readiness for an immediate response, saying: “I think we have to assume that an attack on Taiwan, and probably also the United States, American forces in the region, Japan, the Philippines and could include Australia, happen with very little apparent warning.”

As Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense in 2018, Colby was the lead official on the development and rollout of the National Defense Strategy.