Taiwan offers talks with Ukraine on weapons sanctions-busting

On 23 January 2026, Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te publicly offered to enter talks with Ukraine aimed at strengthening cooperation to curb weapons sanctions-busting and illicit arms flows tied to Russia’s ongoing war against Kyiv. The offer follows remarks by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the World Economic Forum in Davos on 22 January, in which he said that Russia’s missile production relied on critical components allegedly coming through multiple countries, including Taiwan. In a statement on social media, Lai reaffirmed Taiwan’s commitment to supporting Ukraine through humani

On 23 January 2026, Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te publicly offered to enter talks with Ukraine aimed at strengthening cooperation to curb weapons sanctions-busting and illicit arms flows tied to Russia’s ongoing war against Kyiv. The offer follows remarks by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the World Economic Forum in Davos on 22 January, in which he said that Russia’s missile production relied on critical components allegedly coming through multiple countries, including Taiwan. In a statement on social media, Lai reaffirmed Taiwan’s commitment to supporting Ukraine through humanitarian assistance and coordinated sanctions. He expressed willingness to share information and enhance controls to prevent transshipment of sensitive technologies destined for Russia, underscoring Taiwan’s alignment with global export control efforts.

Taiwan, a major global semiconductor hub, has tightened export controls since Russia’s invasion in 2022 and backed wide-ranging Western-led sanctions. Though Taipei and Kyiv lack formal diplomatic relations, Taiwan has routed humanitarian aid through European offices and supports international embargo regimes such as the Wassenaar Arrangement. Lai stressed that enabling aggressors or violating embargoes is unacceptable and reiterated hope for peace in Ukraine.