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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider PH maintains stand on Russia's invasion of Ukraine

PH maintains stand on Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Published Mar 2, 2025 07:41 am

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo said that the Philippines continues to stand by Ukraine in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and supports a United Nations (UN) resolution demanding Moscow’s withdrawal of its military forces from Ukraine.

PBBM_Zelenskyy.jpg
President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shake hands during a bilateral meeting held in Malacañang on Monday, June 3, 2024. (KJ Rosales/PPA Pool)


In an interview with NewsWatch PH a few days before the tumultuous meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the DFA chief said that the Philippines will maintain its own position on the Ukraine conflict even as its oldest ally, the United States, has seemingly sided with Moscow.

“Well, we maintain our last resolution. The US resolution was basically calling for peace. So, there is nothing inconsistent with that. That was consistent with the overall Ukraine approach,” he said, referring to a separate resolution by Washington before the UN Security Council that refused to criticize Russia or mention its role as the aggressor.

“But as far as we are concerned, we still support the basic fundamental principles of international law and the UN Charter,” he added.

His comments came after the US opposed the European-drafted resolution at the General Assembly on Tuesday, Feb. 25, that noted “with concern the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation has persisted for three years and continues to have devastating and long-lasting consequences not only for Ukraine, but also for other regions and global stability."

It also demanded that Russia withdraw immediately all its military forces from Ukraine and for the "immediate cessation of the hostilities by the Russian Federation against Ukraine."

This marked the first time Washington diverged from the Philippines and its European allies in supporting Ukraine’s territorial integrity before the UNGA.

Instead, the US went to the UN Security Council to pass a separate resolution calling for an end to the conflict, but without criticizing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It passed with 10 affirmative votes, but without US allies United Kingdom and France.

Russia and the US are permanent members of the UNSC.

Manalo, however, argued that the US-backed resolution before the powerful UNSC was still consistent with the UN’s call for peace in the region.

“But, at the same time, we also respect what the US did, the resolution. And I said the resolution was fundamentally sound because it called for peace,” he stressed.

Manalo’s comments were made shortly before the stormy White House meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy, where the US President accused the Ukrainian leader of “gambling with World War III,” in what geopolitical pundits see as Washington’s alignment with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

European leaders were quick to express their support for Zelenskyy and Ukraine, promising continued aid to Ukraine’s push for territorial integrity and freedom from Russia’s invasion.

Related Tags

Enrique Manalo UKRAINE WAR UN Charter russian invasion
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