Two 750-kilowatt power generators from Taiwan arrived in Ukraine on Saturday, as Kiev is struggling to maintain electricity supply nationwide after its energy infrastructure was severely damaged amid continuous Russian missile strikes.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) last month donated US$1 million to Kyiv to help it deal with power outages after Russian airstrikes on Ukrainian infrastructure.
The first batch of two high-capacity generators bought with the funds arrived in Kyiv earlier this month.
Photo courtesy of Kira Rudik’s office
As part of the project, about 20 generators are expected to be transferred to power critical infrastructure facilities in the capital.
“Temperatures in Kyiv have been between minus-5oC to minus-10oC in the past few days. The generators are so big that it took two cranes to unload them. However, people were so happy that they applauded as they watched the power generators unloaded. The generators should be put to use this week,” Ukraine’s Holos Party leader Kira Rudik told the Central News Agency by telephone on Monday.
Following the arrival of the first set of power generators, the Chinese embassy in Ukraine warned Kyiv that it should not have accepted such a donation in the first place, Rudik said.
However, the war with Russia has changed the relations between Kyiv and Beijing, she said.
“China has neither intervened in the war between Ukraine and Russia nor has it been partial to any country, but we know that it is helping Moscow bypass sanctions imposed by the US and other countries,” Rudik said. “Beijing did not provide any major assistance to Ukraine either.”
Kyiv is in a fragile position as it tries to avoid further partnerships between Beijing and Moscow by not provoking China, she said.
Rudik added that while she understands and respects the rationale of the Ukrainian government, she is convinced that “placating ... China has been proven to be unfeasible.”
Rudik said she and her team are using social media and interviews on television to tell government officials and Ukrainians how Taiwan has been supporting the country through concrete actions since Russia invaded in February last year.
She said she would also express the same position when she speaks at the Ukrainian parliament next month.
“Talking about Taiwan at the government level is an important, but complicated move, but I have to do it to make sure that every Ukrainian knows that people in Taiwan are friends to Ukraine,” she said.
MOFA on Jan. 4 announced that it has budgeted an additional US$2 million to help Ukraine acquire power generators and heating facilities.
“We can survive without electricity, but we cannot survive without water and heat. Power generators provided by Taiwan will greatly inspire the morale of Ukrainians and let them know they are not fighting this war alone,” Rudik said.
She added that she is planning to visit Taiwan again in the spring to explore ways of establishing Taiwanese “representation” in Ukraine, despite the lack of official diplomatic relations.
Rudik said she was reminded that Ukraine needed to befriend the “right ally” during a meeting with then-US House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi in the fall last year.
“It was a strong message to me that we need the efforts of all who support us,” she said.
INCREASED RISK: The Omicron BA.2.75 subvariant has higher immune evasive capacity, but the CECC is more concerned about newer subvariants such as XBB and BQ.1 With the peak season for infectious respiratory diseases coming to an end, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday said that details of the next phase of lifting COVID-19 masking rules — removing the mask requirement in most indoor settings — are to be announced this week. Discussions on lifting other COVID-19 restrictions are also being held, including further easing border control measures, home isolation requirements and revising the definition for reporting cases, while also downgrading COVID-19 to a lower category of notifiable communicable disease, said Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝), who heads the CECC. As the daily
‘UNACCEPTABLE’: The foreign ministry said that China’s behavior broke international law, while Johnny Chiang was worried such balloons could be used against Taiwan A suspected Chinese surveillance balloon flying over the US was yesterday condemned by officials in Taipei and sparked calls for the government to plan countermeasures. The Pentagon on Thursday said it had detected a Chinese surveillance balloon flying over the country. Beijing has said the balloon is a civilian meteorological device that drifted into US territory after being blown off course. The National Security Bureau and Ministry of National Defense should investigate whether surveillance balloons could be used against Taiwan and prepare to respond to such acts, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) said. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s postponement
PEACE AND STABILITY: The two nations called for the peaceful resolution of cross-Taiwan Strait issues through dialogue without the threat or use of force or coercion The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday thanked France and Australia for voicing their support for Taiwan, saying that peace across the Taiwan Strait is crucial to the stability and prosperity of international society. France and Australia on Monday pledged to deepen ties with Taiwan and reiterated their support for its participation in international organizations at this year’s Foreign and Defense Ministerial Consultations in Paris. The meeting between French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna, French Minister of the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong (黃英賢) and Australian Minister for Defence Richard Marles was the second
DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM: Czech president-elect Petr Pavel said his nation stands firmly on the side of democracy and would boost cooperation with Taipei in all aspects Czech president-elect Petr Pavel spoke by telephone with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday, a highly unusual move given the lack of formal ties and a diplomatic coup for Taipei. Tsai spoke with Pavel for 15 minutes in a harmonious atmosphere, Presidential Office spokeswoman Lin Yu-chan (林聿禪) said, adding that Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) was also present during the conversation. Lin quoted Pavel as telling Tsai that Taiwan is a trustworthy partner, adding that the Czech Republic stands firmly on the side of democracy and supports Taiwan in maintaining a lively democratic system free from authoritarian coercion. The Czech Republic would