The Philippines and Ukraine vowed to continue strengthening their alliance amid the rising global security challenges brought about by the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Chinese aggression in the South China Sea.

Officials from the Ukrainian Embassy in Manila and policy think-tank Stratbase Institute hosted a high-level forum titled “Strengthening Strategic Ties: Enhancing Cooperation between the Philippines and Ukraine” recently to gather diplomats, military officers, and security experts.

During the forum, stakeholders underscored the need to defend sovereignty through “resilience, innovation, and cooperation with like-minded democracies.”

"Ukraine and the Philippines, though geographically distant, are connected by a number of shared values and parallel experiences. Both of our nations are committed to defending sovereignty, territorial integrity, and upholding a rule-based international order," Ukrainian Ambassador to the Philippines Yuliia Fediv said.

Stratbase Institute President Prof. Victor Andres “Dindo” Manhit also noted that both nations face coercion and incursions that threaten sovereignty.

“Ukraine is courageously defending its territory against outright armed aggression, while the Philippines asserts its sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea in the face of coercion and incursions. Deeper cooperation between the Philippines and Ukraine is both urgent and strategic,” he said.

For Dr. Hanna Shelest, director of the Security Studies Program at the Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism,” there is parallelism between Europe’s Black Sea and Asia’s contested waters.

“The Philippines delegation was the only one who stood and openly said, if you don’t understand why it is important for all of us… you’re just not understanding the security challenges that we are facing," she shared.

Despite the geographical distance, Ukrainian Member of Parliament (MP) Tamila Tasheva also pointed out the similarities between the two nations.

“Both of our countries face stronger neighbors which test the limits of international law in maritime spaces. Both of us understand that maritime security is not only about fleets and ports, but about protecting our people, trade, and principles that keep our global order stable,” the official said.

This forum followed the Stratbase event held on Sept. 18 with the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) called “Navigating Asymmetric Threats: Cross-Regional Strategies for Europe and the Indo-Pacific.”

The forums with Ukraine and Europe reinforced Stratbase’s mission to strengthen Philippine resilience through deeper alliances, technological innovation, and cooperation.