Taiwan closely watching talks aimed at ending Ukraine war: MOFA

Taipei, Aug. 19 (CNA) Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Tuesday that the government is closely monitoring a new round of high-level talks in Washington aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war, while stressing that humanitarian assistance to Ukraine will continue.

"The ministry has also been keeping abreast of the latest developments in the Russia-Ukraine war and the views of the United States, Ukraine, European countries, and Russia [regarding peace talks to potentially end the conflict]," MOFA spokesperson Hsiao Kuangwei (蕭光偉) said Tuesday.

Taiwan will continue to closely monitor the situation in Ukraine and collaborate with the international community in areas such as humanitarian assistance, Hsiao said during a weekly news briefing in Taipei.

Hsiao made the comments when asked about the stance of Taiwan's government on the Russia-Ukraine war after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the White House on Monday to meet U.S. President Donald Trump for fresh talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.

There were no concrete commitments from the U.S. side on Ukraine's security, nor any development toward a peace deal, following Monday's meeting. However, Trump expressed optimism about the prospect of Zelenskyy and Russia's President Vladimir Putin meeting at a later date.

Several European leaders also joined the Ukrainian leader in the White House meeting, which was held days after Trump met Putin in Alaska for a summit that failed to result in a ceasefire.

Since Russia's full-scale invasion began on Feb. 24, 2022, Taiwan's government has, together with like-minded countries, sought to help Ukraine, particularly in the area of humanitarian needs.

As of February, Taiwan had allocated more than US$130 million for Ukraine infrastructure projects such as bridges, hospitals, churches, and schools, while private donations for the war-torn country have exceeded US$32 million, according to MOFA.

Meanwhile, asked about Taiwan's view of a recent Trump TV interview in which he said that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) told him that he will not invade Taiwan while Trump is in office, Hsiao stressed that Taiwan's security relies for the most part on its own efforts.

"That is why Taiwan has continued to enhance its self-defense capabilities and resilience, and we will keep doing so," Hsiao added.