Taipei: Opposition Kuomintang (KMT) chair-elect Cheng Li-wun said on Friday that she hopes Taiwan can “make as many friends as possible,” when asked to elaborate on her recent remarks that “Vladimir Putin is not a dictator” because he was elected, during an interview with Deutsche Welle (DW).

According to Focus Taiwan, Cheng expressed that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia transitioned to democracy and held many elections, leading to Putin’s election through a democratic vote. This, she argued, contradicts the labeling of Putin as a dictator. Cheng aims for Taiwan to broaden its international relations under her leadership.

Cheng, who is set to be sworn in as KMT chairperson on Saturday, addressed reporters following the publication of her DW interview. In the interview, she criticized President Lai Ching-te and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), suggesting that their approach could potentially lead Taiwan into a situation similar to Ukraine.

When DW’s Tsou Tzung-han suggested that only dictators decide on war, Cheng maintained that Putin, having been democratically elected, should not be termed a dictator. She highlighted that no democracy is without flaws, citing ongoing democratic challenges in the United States as an example.

Cheng continued to defend her stance by stating that NATO’s expansion was a fundamental reason for the conflict in Ukraine, rather than Putin’s decision-making alone. She argued that the war could have been avoided if Ukraine and its allies had renounced NATO membership ambitions.

Applying this reasoning to Taiwan, Cheng implied that a potential conflict over Taiwan would not be solely determined by Chinese President Xi Jinping’s actions. Cheng criticized the DPP for aligning Taiwan too closely with U.S. interests, asserting that under her leadership, the KMT would strive for Taiwan to have a more independent and influential role.

Responding to Cheng’s statements, Deputy Foreign Minister Fran§ois Wu, former representative to France, told reporters that Europe likely does not share Cheng’s perspective. He drew a comparison to former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, who, despite being ‘elected’ in a disputed referendum, is widely regarded as a dictator.