Taiwan closely watching Ukraine as Trump pivots official says

TAIPEI – Taiwan Vice-Premier Cheng Li-chiun vowed to boost the archipelago’s defence capabilities, including through developing its own military drones, as the Trump administration weakens support for Ukraine, casting doubt over Washington’s commitment to Taipei.

“Taiwan has been paying very close attention to the developments in Ukraine,” Ms Cheng told Bloomberg TV, in response to a question on whether the government is worried about President Donald Trump’s decision to reverse years of US foreign policy to embrace Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

“For Taiwan, the most important thing now is how we can take responsibility in the Indo-Pacific region,” Ms Cheng said, calling bolstering such capabilities the basis for peace. “We’re paying close attention to the Trump administration’s policies,” she added, when asked about the outlook for Taiwan’s relationship with the US.

Washington supplies Taiwan with billions of dollars in weapons and its support would be crucial to repelling any Chinese attack on the self-ruled democracy that President Xi Jinping has vowed to claim someday, by force if necessary.

Mr Trump has stunned the world by pressuring Ukraine to strike a deal with Russia, calling into question whether the US is still a reliable partner for Taiwan.

After Russia mounted its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Taiwan immediately declared solidarity with Ukraine. Shortly after, President Joe Biden broke with decades of tradition to say the US would defend Taiwan from any Chinese invasion. Mr Trump this week appeared to roll back that pledge, telling reporters he would never say whether the US would protect Taiwan.

While Ms Cheng would not be drawn on the President’s comments, she stressed that the Trump administration had in statements published since the Republican leader’s inauguration “repeatedly emphasised the importance of peace in the Taiwan Strait”.

“This is a consensus shared by most democratic countries,”