The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday cautioned Taiwanese on volunteering to fight in Ukraine against invading Russian forces, citing the government’s stance on looking after its citizens’ safety.
The ministry’s comments came after a person posted on Professional Technology Temple (PTT), the nation’s largest online bulletin board system, that they were willing, in response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s call for volunteers, to join the fight.
The person wrote that the Polish Office in Taipei had told them that foreign militias must register at Ukraine’s embassy in Warsaw.
Photo: Lu Yi-hsuan, Taipei Times
The Polish office yesterday declined to comment on the issue.
The government’s stance is to safeguard the safety of Taiwanese, so the ministry would advise people against going to fight in Ukraine, ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said, adding that, for the same reason, Taiwanese in Ukraine are advised to leave the country as soon as possible.
The government understands that some people might “be tempted” to travel to Ukraine to volunteer, but that for their safety and because of the dangers on the battlefield, the ministry is cautioning them against doing so, Ou said.
Photo: CNA
The government is supporting Ukraine by donating disaster relief and has strongly condemned the Russian invasion, Ou said.
Taiwan has also issued economic sanctions against Russia to show that it is in lockstep with the international community, she added.
On Wednesday, the ministry set up an official account for donations to Ukraine.
As of 5pm yesterday, the account had received NT$79.64 million (US$2.84 million) from 15,677 donors, the ministry said.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus yesterday announced that it has donated NT$1 million to support Ukrainians’ fight for freedom and democracy.
Union Group, Rong San Lin Enterprise Co and Liberty Times group, which owns the Chinese-language Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times), have jointly donated NT$15 million to the account.
Taipei Commissioner for External Affairs Tom Chou (周台竹) yesterday said that Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) has personally donated NT$100,000 to the cause.
The Taipei City Government is establishing a fund that would help Warsaw, Taipei’s sister city, to provide humanitarian aid to Ukrainian refugees pouring into the city, he added.
Additional reporting by Chen Ming-hsiang
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