The third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine was this Monday, yet the war has been waging for over 10 years. This Tuesday representatives from the Czech NGO People in Need (PIN) spoke at their documentary screening regarding a decade’s worth of humanitarian efforts, Taiwan’s role, and what impact U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to suspend foreign aid will have on the region.
In 2014, People in Need (PIN) began humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, collaborating with over 70 Ukrainian organizations, local government officials, and activists. At their first event in Taiwan they screened the 52-minute documentary titled “Unbreakable—One Mission, Four Lives” and hosted a panel discussion following remarks from Taiwanese and Czech representatives.
The Foreign Ministry’s Department of European Affairs Director General Eric Huang (黃鈞耀) said Taiwan stands firmly in solidarity with Ukraine during its hour of need, and emphasized the values that Taiwan and Ukraine share.
National Security Council Secretary-General and former Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) quoted “First They Came” by Pastor Martin Niemöller before noting that Taiwan is standing up for both itself and nations fighting for values of freedom, dignity, and self-determination. Wu said Taiwan must be bold, unwavering, and resolute in its fight for freedom and democracy, and that complacency in the face of growing threats cannot be afforded.
Following the documentary screening, the panel members brought up what PIN Humanitarian Programs Head Marek Stys said is the elephant in the room, the abrupt suspension of USAID funding globally that began January 24. USAID provided Ukraine with over US$37 billion in aid, according to the agency’s now defunct website, a role which PIN Human Rights and Democracy Centre Head Nadiia Ivanova says simply cannot be replaced.
Following reports that two Trump officials declined to say Russia started the war in Ukraine and that funding has been suspended, several speakers, including Stys, said that they watch the news with increasing anxiety these days.
Czech Representative to Taiwan David Steinke said times are changing too much, too fast, and not in the right direction, but that three things remain unchanged: Russia was the aggressor with the full-scale invasion that started three years ago, Ukraine is heroically fighting for sovereignty, and that Czechia and Taiwan remain determined supporters of Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during his G7 speech regarding the three-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, said that the war has deep meaning as it’s a fight for independence, the kind that many nations have gone through. He said those who fight will survive, those who surrender will get erased by history, and that Ukrainians exist and always will.
Regarding how the suspension of funding will affect Taiwan’s humanitarian aid, Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF) Deputy Secretary General and DPP Spokesperson Hsieh Peifen (謝佩芬) said Taiwan ICDF has run some projects parallel to the U.S., and that many of those projects have already concluded. Hsieh said the organization would love to have more cooperation with USAID, but will continue working with the U.S., whichever agency it may be. She added that there are no winners in war, and that the losers are the people who lose lives, families, livelihoods, homes, and hope. She noted that Taiwan has no formal diplomatic ties with Ukraine, but that Taiwan supports Ukraine and its long-term recovery.