HONG KONG /XIANGGANG/, February 25. /TASS/. The administration of Taiwan will join international economic sanctions against Russia over the situation in Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Friday.

"The government [of Taiwan] deeply regrets that Russia, instead of resolving disputes through peaceful diplomatic negotiations, has chosen to use force and intimidation in bullying others. In order to compel Russia to halt its military aggression against Ukraine, and to restart peaceful dialogue among all parties concerned as soon as possible, the government of Taiwan announces it will join international economic sanctions against Russia," the statement said.

"Taiwan will continue to coordinate closely with the United States and other like-minded countries to adopt appropriate measures in order to free Ukraine from the horrors of war, as well as restore, at the earliest time, peace and stability to the region and the world," the ministry added.

Earlier, the EU, the US, Canada, the UK and Japan slapped sanctions on Moscow over its recognition of the sovereignty of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address on Thursday morning that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics he had made a decision to carry out a special military operation. The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories.