UKRAINE AND TAIWAN: STRUCTURAL SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES IN OPPOSING BIGGER NEIGHBOURS

The Russo-Ukrainian war destroyed the existing security system and led to concerns about a similar potential hot spot – Taiwan. The research paper is an analysis of how Ukraine and Taiwan oppose their bigger neighbours, who claim them as their own territory. The article explores the similarities and differences between these two asymmetric conflicts. Attention was also paid to the policy of «strategic ambiguity» employed by each side. The potential reactions of the parties involved in the Russo-Ukrainian war to a possible war in the Taiwan Strait are researched. Findings indicate that successfully maintaining Ukraine’s sovereignty and imposing a high cost on the Russian Federation for launching a full-scale invasion serve as a deterrent for the People’s Republic of China against taking similar actions regarding Taiwan. The study utilizes theoretical and empirical methods, in particular, generalization, analyses, system approach, comparative and observation.