Taiwan plans to donate US$56 million to help Ukraine rebuild key infrastructures like schools and hospitals. Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said on Wednesday that the donation had already been included in the proposed 2023 national budget.
Wu says Taiwan is devastated to see how Russia's invasion of Ukraine has destroyed hundreds of schools, hospitals, and homes. He says Taiwan has stood with Ukraine since the beginning of the war and joined other democratic countries in condemning Russia.
Wu says the budget proposal still needs legislative approval, but he believes it will pass because Taiwanese lawmakers across the political spectrum support Ukraine. He says Taiwan will continue helping to rebuild Ukraine with the country's neighbors like Poland, Slovakia, Czechia, and Lithuania, which share similar values.
Wu says the Foreign Ministry also plans to provide more scholarship opportunities for Ukrainian students to attend Taiwanese universities. Taiwan does not have a representative office in Kyiv, but Wu says that Taiwan's representative in Poland now provides consular services instead of Moscow.
Wu says Taiwan sees Ukraine as a role model in terms of the people's bravery in defending their country. The minister says he believes Ukraine will eventually drive Russian forces out of the country and reclaim its prosperity.