- Kuomintang leader Cheng Li-wen told Deutsche Welle that Vladimir Putin “is not a dictator” and was “democratically elected.”
- Cheng blamed NATO’s expansion for the war in Ukraine and accused Western countries of spreading political propaganda.
Newly elected Kuomintang (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wen, leader of Taiwan’s second-largest political party, sparked sharp debate after telling Deutsche Welle that Russian President Vladimir Putin “is not a dictator,” arguing that he was “democratically elected” and that Russia has been “democratized for many years.”
In her first interview with international media since assuming party leadership, Cheng defended her remarks by saying she was “more familiar with Russia” than Western journalists, insisting that Western perceptions of Moscow are distorted by propaganda.
“Putin is not a dictator. He was democratically elected,” Cheng said during the interview. “Russia has been democratized for many years. There is no perfect democracy in the world — even American democracy has many problems that need reform — but he was elected through a democratic process.”
When pressed by the interviewer about Russia’s responsibility for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Cheng rejected the premise that Putin alone decided to launch the war.
“Of course not,” she said. “This is a very complicated international situation. NATO repeatedly broke its promise not to expand eastward, and this expansion to Russia’s doorstep is the core reason for today’s war. If NATO had long ago given up on bringing Ukraine into the alliance, this problem would never have happened.”
Cheng accused Western countries of manipulating public opinion through political messaging. She described NATO’s position on Ukraine as driven by “propaganda,” claiming that only a return to “real facts” could bring peace.
“The West has engaged in a lot of political propaganda because of the war in Ukraine,” Cheng said. “That’s not the truth. Only by facing facts can we pragmatically deal with disputes. If everyone insists on their own political rhetoric, there will never be resolution.”
She also voiced sympathy for those directly affected by the war, saying that “the real victims are the ordinary people — the soldiers of Ukraine and Russia who sacrifice their lives, and the innocent civilians whose countries have been destroyed.”
“We do not want to become another Ukraine,” Cheng said, adding that Taiwan’s people “do not want their sons to die in a meaningless war” or “see their streets become like Ukraine’s cities today.”
Addressing Taiwan’s security, Cheng distanced herself from both Washington and Beijing, criticizing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Lai Ching-te for, in her view, placing Taiwan’s fate in the hands of foreign powers.
“I do not want to hand over Taiwan’s future — its right to speak, to decide, to act — to others, whether that’s Beijing, Washington, Xi Jinping, or Trump,” she said. “That’s the biggest difference between me and Lai Ching-te.”
Cheng argued that Taiwan must not become a pawn in the U.S.–China rivalry and should instead act as a stabilizing influence.
“Even though Taiwan is small, we must not think that we are doomed to be at the mercy of great powers,” she said. “If the Kuomintang can help promote cross-strait reconciliation, regional peace, or even U.S.–China understanding, then we give the world hope.”
Cheng Li-wen’s remarks come at a sensitive time, with Taiwan facing increasing military pressure from mainland China and preparing for upcoming elections. Her comments are likely to draw criticism from both pro-independence politicians and international observers who view her statements on Putin as aligning with Russian and Chinese narratives.
The interview underscores the emerging divide within Taiwan’s political landscape over how to manage relations with Beijing and Washington. Cheng’s stance — advocating neutrality and rejecting Western framing of the Ukraine war — suggests a shift toward a more China-friendly diplomatic tone, one that could complicate future cooperation with the United States.
While her words may resonate with voters who prioritize peace over confrontation, they also raise questions about Taiwan’s alignment in a world where autocracies and democracies are again defining global security fault lines.