International Analysis

How Stopping a Takeover Brings Taiwan and Ukraine Together

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By TaiwanPlus

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Nine months into the Russian invasion of Ukraine, over half of Ukrainian power grids have been destroyed. As ordinary citizens continue to bear the brunt, there are yet to be signs of war nearing its end. After almost a year of ambiguity, Xi Jinping finally voiced his opposition to employing nuclear weapons in Ukraine. Taiwan Talks explores lessons Taiwan can learn from Ukraine and how the country is working alongside the war-torn nation to enhance its defense capabilities. We also discuss how both countries are working on cyber technology, infrastructure, energy, trade, culture, and other areas to boost cooperation in mutually upgrading deterrence on all fronts. In this episode, Olek Shyn, founder of Ukrainian Voices and Ukraine+Taiwan Forum Coordination and Leonard Chao, former Taiwan Ambassador to Eswatini join us in the studio to discuss the ongoing war, international pressure on Russia, and how Taiwan and Ukraine are strengthening both government and people-to-people ties. Our Chief Host Yin Khvat also speaks to Mykola Kniazhytskyi, Ukrainian Member of Parliament and Co-Chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China on the need to push back on China and deepen ties between Taiwan and Ukraine. We also hear from Hanna Hopko, Democracy in Action Chairwoman and former Ukrainian Member of Parliament on the specifics of how both countries are working together during her visit to Taipei. Topics discussed: - How Ukraine and Taiwan draw similarities in forming a distinct identity from its giant neighbor in dismantling cultural hegemony and preserving democracy and the right to self-determination - Shyn’s unique personal experience as a Ukrainian of Korean descent and the cultural similarities and common struggles he sees between the two countries that attracted him to relocate to Taiwan - U.S. support for Taiwan and Ukraine, common core national interests and stark differences, and Taiwan’s geostrategic significance to U.S. Pacific power - Will the U.S. send its troops in the defense of Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion? - Priorities for the U.S. in containing and competing with Russia and China - Will Taiwan become the next proxy war between the U.S. and China? - Lessons Taiwan can draw from Ukraine in resisting a giant neighbor and garnering international support and global attention - The impact on Ukrainian public sentiment on the death of Jonathan Tseng, the Taiwanese volunteer soldier who died fighting Russian soldiers in Donbass - Ukrainian and Taiwanese technological cooperation in combating cyber warfare, energy, infrastructure, chips, and other key areas related to national security - Liberal progressive values that bring Taiwan and Ukraine together, from advocating for and improvements in gender equality to legalizing same-sex marriage - Will Ukraine’s drop in trade with China present an opportunity for Taiwan? - Use of nuclear warfare and international condemnation: How far will China’s ‘no-limits’ partnership with Russia go? - China’s Belt and Road Initiative setbacks in Ukraine