Taiwanese President Lai Ching te has began direct talks with Ukraine to tighten enforcement against sanctions evasion, after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy publicly cited Taiwan as a source of illicit components used in Russian missiles.
The offer came on Friday, a day after Zelenskiy told the World Economic Forum in Davos that Russia’s missile production relies on parts sourced from multiple regions, including Taiwan. His remarks highlighted ongoing concerns about how Moscow acquires restricted technology despite international sanctions.
In a post on X written in English, Lai said Taiwan has long coordinated with international partners to support Ukraine through humanitarian assistance and sanctions enforcement. He welcomed closer cooperation with Kyiv to prevent goods from reaching Russia through indirect routes.
“We welcome further exchanges of information with President Zelenskyy to further clamp down on illegal third country transshipment and concealed end use,” Lai wrote, alongside an image of orchids in the blue and yellow colors of Ukraine’s flag.
Lai added that Taiwan considers any assistance to Russia unacceptable and said some Taiwanese volunteers have lost their lives fighting alongside Ukrainian forces.
“There have been young Taiwanese who have sacrificed their lives to defend freedom in Ukraine,” he said. “Any assistance to the aggressor or violations of international embargoes and export control regulations are unacceptable.”
Taiwan, a global hub for advanced semiconductors, has steadily expanded export controls since Russia launched its full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The island has aligned itself with Western led sanctions aimed at limiting Moscow’s access to military related technology.
Speaking to reporters later in Taipei, Lai said Taiwan was open to receiving specific intelligence from Ukraine and was prepared to tighten oversight of goods routed through third countries.
“We are willing to strengthen controls on goods that are routed through third countries while concealing their final destination, to prevent them from entering Russia and to protect Ukraine,” he said.
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Taiwan announced in November that it was updating export control rules in line with the Wassenaar Arrangement, a multilateral framework designed to prevent weapons proliferation. Taiwan is not a signatory due to its diplomatic isolation, but officials have said it aims to follow international standards.
There has been no publicly confirmed direct contact between the Taiwanese and Ukrainian governments, although Taiwanese officials have previously spoken with Ukrainian city mayors.
Like most countries, Ukraine maintains formal diplomatic relations with Beijing rather than Taipei. Despite that, Taiwan’s leadership has repeatedly expressed support for Ukraine and signaled a willingness to deepen practical cooperation.
