Russia has added Taiwan to a list of “unfriendly” territories, in response to international sanctions on Russia after it invaded Ukraine. This list was released in Taiwan early Tuesday morning, and includes other countries like the US, Japan, South Korea, EU member states, the UK, and Canada.
Moscow states that Russian companies, citizens, and government entities may now use rubles to pay foreign creditors in these blacklisted regions. The value of the ruble has dropped dramatically since the start of attacks on Ukraine, losing about 90% of its value against the US dollar.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Joanne Ou says that Russia is not a critical partner for Taiwan when it comes to trade, and that Taiwan has many other resources for oil and natural gas. She says that while Taiwan doesn’t rely heavily on Russia, the government will pay close attention to new developments and take necessary measures to ensure economic stability.
Foreign Minister Joseph Wu says that the ministry is on alert if Russia takes more direct actions against Taiwan. However, Wu says that Russia’s list is unlikely to influence bilateral relations with Taiwan for the time being, and that Taiwan’s representative office in Russia is still under normal operations.