Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has asked President Marcos to send Filipino mental health workers to Ukraine to help ensure the welfare of their soldiers amid its raging armed conflict with Russia.

During their meeting at the Malacañan Palace on Monday, June 3, Zelenskyy told Marcos that they are in need of more mental health workers for their soldiers and defenders who are at the forefront of the war.

“[Y]ou mentioned about humanitarian possibilities especially for medicine and like I said to you, especially, psychological mental health and etc., – army. So, you understand how many people need their help when they come back, they can’t lose in the families,” Zelenskyy said.

“It’s difficult for them --- to study again,” he added.

Zelenskyy, in an interview on the same day, said that Ukraine has no enough specialists in mental health to help their soldiers overcome psychological challenges due to the war.

He added that Marcos expressed that the Philippines is ready to help Ukraine in terms of providing medicine and help with the mental health and psychological challenges Ukrainians are experiencing.

"From the Philippines, we're very happy, the President gave me a signal that you're ready to help us with the medicine, especially with the mental health and psychological challenges. It's understandable that the war brought nothing good. We have one million army, and of course, these guys, these veterans who came back home, they begin to study how to live through the civilians. It's very difficult. We don't have enough specialists, experts in mental health. Not enough, never enough," he said.

Marcos also told the Ukrainian president that the Philippines can offer help by sending Filipino mental health workers, saying "that is something that I think we are able to offer.”

Marcos told the Ukrainian president that the Philippines can offer help by sending Filipino mental health workers, saying "that is something that I think we are able to offer.”

“I am happy to do all that we can to make sure that we can help especially the civilians and the innocents that are involved in the war. This is something that comes naturally to the Philippines so this will be something that we could pursue,” Marcos said.

The Chief Executive also said that “the Philippines is quite well-known in healthcare in terms of providing assistance,” which is part of the country’s commitment to the United Nations (UN) for the peacekeeping process.

Zelenskyy arrived in Manila on Sunday evening for a one-day working visit after his appearance at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. He arrived at the Malacañan before 9 a.m. on Monday to meet Marcos.

The diplomatic relationship between the Philippines and Ukraine span 32 years since it was formally established on April 7, 1992.

In 2022, Ukraine ranked as the 90th trading partner of the Philippines, the 119th export market and 76th import source. The total trade between the countries amounted to $16.9 million with exports valued at $1.49 million and imports at USD15.41 million.

Ukraine served as a second home to nearly 200 Filipinos. But the figure went down to 25, who are mostly married to Ukrainians and who chose to be with their families amid the ongoing war with Russia.