Washington is drafting plans to potentially evacuate American citizens from Taiwan amid officials’ concerns about inflamed diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and China, according to The Messenger. An unnamed senior U.S. intelligence official told the outlet that the development of contingency protocols had been underway for at least six months, with planning having “heated up over the past two months or so.” Another source said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had been at least partially responsible, saying, “Ukraine drove a relook at what the plans were.” A Pentagon spokesperson declined to comment on any specific plans, but cautioned, “We do not see a conflict in the Taiwan Strait as imminent or inevitable.” Asked about the report at a Monday news briefing, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said, “It’s not routine U.S. policy to evacuate private American citizens from areas of conflict, and there’s no indication at this time that current conditions in Taiwan would warrant any reconsideration of that policy.”