Ukrainian lawmaker Kira Rudik on Monday thanked Taiwan for its support of Ukraine and said she hoped to learn from Taiwan’s advanced security systems to combat Russian cyberattacks.
“Right now, Ukraine is at the forefront of that [fight for survival and democracy] and we need everybody as our allies,” Rudik, leader of the Holos party, said in an online interview. “And this is why it is so important to acknowledge the support that Taiwan was giving to Ukraine, and the support is increasing and I want to extend my gratefulness for that.”
Rudik, who is in Taipei to attend the 11th Global Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy, said that Taiwan is now perceived as a Ukraine ally and, like Ukraine, is fighting for its freedom.
Photo: Chiang Ying-ying, AP
Ukrainians have received good wishes from Taiwan and saw video clips of solidarity demonstrations in Taiwan she said, adding that “this is very important to us.”
Since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, Taipei has joined global democracies in condemning Moscow, implementing sanctions against Russia and aiding Ukraine.
Rudik, who serves on her parliament’s Committee on Digital Transformation, said in the interview that beyond attending the assembly, she also hoped to learn from Taiwan’s advanced cybersecurity systems and its experience in combating cyberattacks.
Photo: Screen grab from Espreso TV by Lu Yi-hsuan, Taipei Times
Ukraine is moving forward with developing its own systems to support its troops, and she was interested in discussing digital transformation with representatives of the digital world in Taipei, she said.
Asked what advice she has for Taiwan as it faces military coercion from another authoritarian regime, Rudik said Ukrainians have learned to stay united, find allies wherever possible and beware of cognitive warfare.
No one knew Russian President Vladimir Putin was going to invade Ukraine so quickly, or Kyiv would have built more bomb shelters and taught people how to use them in advance to save more lives, she said.
“So we’re learning it now, but we’re learning it the hard way,” she said.
Asked if Taiwan’s support for Ukraine could lead to a review of its “one China” policy, Rudik said there might be a “huge change” in Ukrainian diplomacy, but the main focus now is to win the war.
Ukraine’s China policy is constantly changing and the priority right now is to make sure that China is not involved in the war and supporting Russia, she said.
Because there are no direct signs indicating Beijing is supporting Moscow, Rudik said that Ukrainian leaders would likely keep the China policy as it is for now.
Separately, Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) told Ukrainian media that Taiwan is committed to maintaining sanctions on Moscow and that the country would take part in Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction.
Taiwan has profound admiration for the resistance of Ukrainian armed forces and its people against Russia’s illegal war of aggression, Wu said in a video interview broadcast on Espreso TV on Sunday with reporter Vitaly Portnikov.
Taipei has provided Ukraine with US$45 million of humanitarian assistance, including necessities, medicine and medical equipment, he said, adding that Taiwan would assist in the nation’s rebuilding.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has contacted authorities in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Bucha, and the Orthodox Church of Ukraine to express its respect of and unshakable support for Ukraine, he said.
Taiwanese feel deep sympathy for Ukraine’s suffering and have every confidence that Ukraine, with the solidarity of its people and international support, will prevail over Russia to liberate every inch of occupied territory, he said.
In response to a question about whether Taiwan sees parallels between the tensions across the Taiwan Strait and the Ukraine-Russia war, Wu said that China’s ambitions do not stop with Taiwan and that Beijing has been brazenly expanding its military into the Indo-Pacific region.
Like-minded countries must stand in solidarity to check Chinese expansion, lest it threaten global peace and stability, he said.
Additional reporting by Lu Yi-hsuan
One of two tropical depressions that formed off Taiwan yesterday morning could turn into a moderate typhoon by the weekend, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Tropical Depression No. 21 formed at 8am about 1,850km off the southeast coast, CWA forecaster Lee Meng-hsuan (李孟軒) said. The weather system is expected to move northwest as it builds momentum, possibly intensifying this weekend into a typhoon, which would be called Mitag, Lee said. The radius of the storm is expected to reach almost 200km, she said. It is forecast to approach the southeast of Taiwan on Monday next week and pass through the Bashi Channel
The number of Chinese spouses applying for dependent residency as well as long-term residency in Taiwan has decreased, the Mainland Affairs Council said yesterday, adding that the reduction of Chinese spouses staying or living in Taiwan is only one facet reflecting the general decrease in the number of people willing to get married in Taiwan. The number of Chinese spouses applying for dependent residency last year was 7,123, down by 2,931, or 29.15 percent, from the previous year. The same census showed that the number of Chinese spouses applying for long-term residency and receiving approval last year stood at 2,973, down 1,520,
EASING ANXIETY: The new guide includes a section encouraging people to discuss the threat of war with their children and teach them how to recognize disinformation The Ministry of National Defense’s All-Out Defense Mobilization Agency yesterday released its updated civil defense handbook, which defines the types of potential military aggression by an “enemy state” and self-protection tips in such scenarios. The agency has released three editions of the handbook since 2022, covering information from the preparation of go-bags to survival tips during natural disasters and war. Compared with the previous edition, released in 2023, the latest version has a clearer focus on wartime scenarios. It includes a section outlining six types of potential military threats Taiwan could face, including destruction of critical infrastructure and most undersea cables, resulting in
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said that it expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Ragasa this morning and a land warning at night as it approached Taiwan. Ragasa intensified from a tropical storm into a typhoon at 8am yesterday, the CWA said, adding that at 2pm, it was about 1,110km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip. The typhoon was moving northwest at 13kph, with sustained winds of up to 119kph and gusts reaching 155kph, the CWA Web site showed. Forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said that Ragasa was projected to strengthen as it neared the Bashi Channel, with its 200km