Taiwan’s government has agreed to provide US$600,000 in reconstruction aid for the Ukrainian city of Bucha, according to a press release from the foreign ministry on Thursday. The suburb of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv was the site of intense fighting and numerous alleged war crimes by Russian soldiers against Ukrainian civilians.
The signing of the agreement took place in Warsaw, Poland, and was attended by Taiwan’s representative to Poland Sharon Wu (吳尚年) and Bucha Mayor Anatolii Fedoruk. Several refugees from Bucha were also in attendance.
The foreign ministry says the aid money will be used to repair schools and construct air raid shelters in Bucha, which will help people cope with the frequent airstrikes carried out by Russia. The ministry adds that in April of last year, Taiwan also provided aid to Bucha for the construction of 11 air raid shelters and repairs to schools and homes.
In a speech, Wu says that the people of Taiwan have empathy with Ukraine because it is also threatened by a totalitarian regime. While Fedoruk says that although Taiwan and Ukraine are thousands of miles apart, they are united by their commitment to freedom and democracy. He adds that this unity has been shown not just with words, but also with actions.