Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) on Monday pledged to donate US$500,000 to rebuild the Ukrainian town of Bucha after it was devastated by Russian troops.
Wu made the pledge during a video call with Bucha Mayor Anatoliy Fedoruk. He expressed concern for Ukrainians and said Taiwanese support Ukraine in its defense against an invasion launched by an authoritarian regime, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
Wu made similar calls with the primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine on June 10, the mayor of Kharkiv on May 31 and the mayor of Kyiv on April 22, pledging to donate US$13.2 million in total to help Ukraine rebuild.
Wu on Monday wrote on Twitter that he had an “emotional call” with the mayor of Bucha, where “some of the worst war crimes committed by Russia against the innocent” happened, referring to the reported massacre of hundreds of civilians by invading Russian forces.
“Taiwan will continue to stand with Ukraine in its fight for sovereignty, freedom & democracy,” Wu wrote.
More than 400 bodies have been found since April 12, following the withdrawal of Russian forces from the town after a month of occupation, Fedoruk has said.
Wu on Monday reiterated that Taiwan condemns in the strongest terms the “merciless massacre of civilians,” while joining calls from the international community for an immediate investigation into the matter.
The government has shipped 582 tonnes of humanitarian aid donated by Taiwanese to Ukrainians displaced by Russia’s attack and donated more than US$40 million to help Ukrainian refugees, medical institutions and churches affected by the invasion, Wu said.
Wu told Fedoruk that Taiwan has long faced Chinese military coercion and understood “perfectly” how Ukraine felt.
Fedoruk expressed gratitude for the government’s support and assistance.
He said Ukrainians would never forgive the “brutal and barbarous” acts conducted by Russia within Ukraine and in Bucha.
Fedoruk said that Ukraine’s government and its people would always remember the staunch support of Taiwan and would make good use of every penny of the money donated by the nation.
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
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