Ukraine received 48 retired emergency vehicles donated by Taiwan via Poland on Tuesday as part of Taipei’s ongoing efforts to help the eastern European country’s resistance against Russia’s invasion.
The vehicles were officially handed over to the Ukrainian side during a ceremony held in the Polish city of Gdansk that was attended by Representative to Poland Sharon Wu (吳尚年) and Lesia Duplii, deputy mayor of the Ukrainian city of Marganets.
Also in attendance were representatives from the Poland-based Regional Development Foundation and the Ukraine-based Heart in Action foundation.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The 48 retired emergency vehicles, including ambulances, were refurbished by Pai Tsan-jung (白璨榮), a Changhua County businessman.
During a donation ceremony in June, Pai said that the initial plan was to purchase used emergency vehicles from abroad and deliver them to Ukraine, but that idea proved too expensive.
So instead, he decided to buy retired ambulances and fire trucks from the government, and have refurbished them locally, he said then.
TAIWAN’S HELP
In a prerecorded clip, Kira Rudik, leader of the liberal Holos party in Ukraine, thanked Taiwan and Pai in particular for donating the emergency vehicles.
The vehicles would soon begin the final leg of their journey to Ukraine, and would save lives, she said.
“Thank you to each and every one of you. Mr Pai and the whole team. We will keep fighting and we will win,” Rudik said.
Taiwan has been offering assistance to Ukraine since Russia invaded the eastern European country in February last year.
As of February, the government and Taiwanese public had donated 27 tonnes of emergency medical supplies and 700 tonnes of humanitarian relief aid to Ukrainians, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Taiwan has also donated more than US$41 million to humanitarian organizations working with Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Lithuania to help settle Ukrainian refugees in those countries, ministry data showed.
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