Taiwan’s foreign ministry says it opposes the use of force against any sovereign country. That’s after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized Ukraine’s eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent entities on Monday and sent troops there to “maintain peace."
The two regions are industrial cities with a total of 3.5 million people. They are seeking independence from Kyiv but their independence is not recognized by the global community.
US government figures say there are now between 169,000 and 190,000 Russian troops stationed along Ukraine's border, both in Russia and neighboring Belarus.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Joanne Ou said that Russia has damaged all the efforts for a peaceful solution to the Russo-Ukrainian crisis. Ou said Russia has elevated military tensions against Ukraine and threatened peace and stability in the region.
The ministry is calling on all parties to respect Ukraine’s independent sovereignty and its territorial integrity. Ou said Taiwan opposes any use of military force and threats to change the status quo between Ukraine and Russia. Ou called on relevant parties to use peaceful and rational dialogue to resolve the differences in that region.
The ministry also encouraged Taiwanese living in Ukraine to leave or at least move to the western region for their own safety.