'Russia is the aggressor': Ukrainians in Taiwan tell the world at protest

Taipei, Feb. 23 (CNA) Around 100 Ukrainians and supporters protested outside the de-facto Russian embassy in Taipei on Sunday to remind the world that "Russia is the aggressor" ahead of the third anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.

"We are here to remind the world that Russia is the aggressor," Korean-Ukrainian Oleksandr Shyn, one of the organizers, said at the event outside the de-facto embassy -- officially the Representative Office in Taipei for the Moscow-Taipei Coordination Commission.

Shyn's remarks were made in an apparent reference to U.S. President Donald Trump's recent false claim that Ukraine started the war with Russia.

"You should have never started it," Trump said about Ukraine while criticizing President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who had expressed concern that his country was not included in the "peace" talks between the U.S. and Russia in Saudi Arabia.

Shyn told CNA on the sideline of Sunday's protests that the U.S.' change of stance on Ukraine has left many Ukrainians feeling "betrayed."

"We hope this [situation] will change," he said

Trump also recently labeled Zelenskyy a "dictator" who refuses to hold elections.

Shyn said there is no question that Zelenskyy is the legitimate president of Ukraine and commander-in-chief of the army.

"We have martial law right now enacted and we cannot have the elections, we cannot endanger our people's lives by having elections," he said.

Under Ukraine's constitution, it is not legal to hold national elections during a period of martial law. Shyn also noted that Ukraine is not opposed to making sacrifices to end the war.

"As the new realities show, we now live in an extremely transactional world. We'll have to give something and we'll have to offer something for the help we get, but I hope this will be rational," he added.

Shyn told CNA that Sunday's protest was also meant to continue rallying support on behalf of Ukraine, particularly given the invasion has gone on for three years.

"We have a very general message, first of all, to ask for people to support us, but this time, of course, to support Ukraine's agency and Ukraine's will and Ukraine's right to exist."

"And we also want to remind, as people living in Taiwan, to remind the world that Taiwan is supporting Ukraine, that this country on the other side of the world is standing with the people of Ukraine," he added.

As of February, Taiwan's government has allocated more than US$130 million for infrastructure projects in Ukraine, such as bridges, hospitals, churches and schools, while private donations have exceeded US$32 million, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Meanwhile, Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源), a YouTuber who became a household name in Taiwan after he and another YouTuber Pa Chiung (八炯) released a series of videos discussing Chinese influence operations targeting Taiwan, also participated in Sunday's protest.

Chen told reporters that he wanted to support Ukraine because "today's Ukraine may be the future Taiwan," given both are standing on the frontline against strong dictatorships.

"If Ukraine loses, Taiwan will definitely be next," he said, emphasizing that this is a key reason why Taiwan must support Ukraine.

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