TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — DPP lawmakers established the Taiwan-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Association with Ukrainian counterparts on Monday to promote bilateral exchanges.

Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷), who initiated the group’s founding, said that Ukraine’s worsening situation is a global concern, CNA reported. Taiwan must not turn away in Ukraine’s time of greatest need, as supporting Ukraine aligns with its values and interests, he said.

He added that in the face of authoritarian regimes like China, Russia, and North Korea, which are coordinating their use of resources, future conflicts will not be isolated incidents. 

Deputy Foreign Minister Wu Chih-chung (吳志中) said that Taiwan will continue to cooperate with like-minded democratic allies in Europe to support Ukraine’s reconstruction. He hoped Taiwan and Ukraine would deepen cooperation through parliamentary diplomacy, city-to-city exchanges, and other ways.

Ukrainian lawmaker Mykola Kniazhytskyi and her peers sent video messages congratulating the association on its founding. They described Taiwan as a true ally of Ukraine and hoped that this would enhance bilateral relations. The lawmakers also called on democratic countries to stand united.