President Tsai Ing-wen is calling on the military to strengthen its readiness to maintain regional peace as tensions between Ukraine and Russia grow.  The president made the remarks after she attended a security briefing on Ukraine on Wednesday. 

On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized Ukraine’s eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent entities and sent troops there to “maintain peace.”

President Tsai said that Russia is infringing on Ukraine’s sovereignty. She called on all parties to find a peaceful solution to their differences and said Taiwan is willing to help in any effort to de-escalate tensions in that region.

The president also ordered the military to remain alert and be ready for any challenges that may arise around Taiwan due to the Russia-Ukraine crisis. Furthermore, Tsai has also said the government will counter cognitive warfare campaigns that liken Ukraine’s situation with Russia to Taiwan and China. She says that the two circumstances are fundamentally different issues, but also said foreign encroachment into Ukraine could affect morale in Taiwan.  

Finally, Tsai called upon government authorities to stabilize prices of various resources in Taiwan. She says that the threat of conflict between Ukraine and Russia could have consequences for various goods and markets.