Taiwan to impose sanctions on Russia over Ukraine intervention

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – Taiwan on Friday announced it will join international sanctions on Russia over its military intervention of Ukraine.

Regretting that Russia “chose to use force and intimidation in bullying others,” the self-ruled island's Foreign Ministry said: “In order to compel Russia to halt its military aggression against Ukraine, and to restart peaceful dialogue among all parties concerned as soon as possible, Taiwan announces it will join international economic sanctions against Russia.”

It condemned “Russia’s decision to start a war and occupying Ukrainian territory by force,” and called it a violation of the UN Charter.

“This action has jeopardized regional and global peace and stability,” the ministry said, adding that it poses “most serious threat and challenge to the rules-based international order and system of international laws that maintain and protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries.”

Taipei said it opposes “any unilateral change to the status quo by force or coercion, and supports peaceful, rational dialogue and negotiation among related countries under the framework of international law to resolve differences.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the long-feared military intervention in Ukraine early Thursday, days after recognizing two breakaway enclaves – Donetsk and Luhansk – in eastern Ukraine, drawing international condemnation and sanctions.

He said the operation’s aim is to protect people “subjected to genocide” by Kyiv and to “demilitarize and denazify” Ukraine, and called on the Ukrainian army to lay down its arms.

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has declared martial law, more than 130 people including civilians have been killed so far.