TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) on May 31 during a video conference with Mayor of Kharkiv Ihor Terekhov pledged US$4 million (NT$118 million) to help rebuild Ukraine, including US$2 million for Kharkiv.

Wu said that while Ukraine suffers devastation "caused by the Russian aggression" Taiwan is also "on the front line under the threat of another authoritarian country." The minister said that Taiwanese are "very touched" to see how Ukrainians are bravely fighting to defend their country.

Wu said that for this reason, the Taiwanese government wishes to provide assistance to Ukraine. He then announced that Taiwan will donate US$2 million to Kharkiv to assist with the reconstruction of "some of the hospitals or institutions or churches" that have been destroyed by Russian forces.

Beyond Kharkiv, Wu added that Taiwan will provide donations of US$500,000 each to the four cities of Chernihiv, Mykolaiev, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia, which like Kharkiv have borne the brunt of Russian shelling. Terekhov responded by thanking Wu for all of his help and contributions to Kharkiv, the four other cities, and all of Ukraine.

Terekhov emphasized that Wu's announcement not only represents financial support but "great political support" from Taiwan. The mayor cited a Ukrainian saying meaning that one knows their true friend in the worst of times and vowed that they will teach children in special sheltered schools that "the Taiwan people are our friends" and that they helped rebuild such facilities.

Wu closed by saying in Ukrainian "Taiwan stands with Ukraine!"

According to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs press release, the funds will be used to reconstruct schools and essential infrastructure that had been severely damaged by Russian assaults. This marked the second time Wu had held a video conference with a Ukrainian mayor, with the previous call being held with Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko on April 22.

At the outbreak of the war, Taiwan pledged 27 tons of medical supplies which was distributed by the Polish government to Ukrainian refugees in Poland. On March 17, Taiwan started shipping 582 tons of humanitarian relief supplies to Ukraine and in April donated US$5.8 million in private sector funds to seven Ukrainian medical institutions, including the Kharkiv Urgent Surgery Institute.