Photo credit: PCO

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. emphasized the importance of protecting the sovereignty of every nation amid the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The President made this statement during a Q&A session at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington.

According to Marcos, the Philippines has been consistent in supporting the resolutions passed by the United Nations (UN) in the war in Ukraine. He further stated that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of every nation must be respected, especially in the current situation where an outright war is taking place.

Marcos also attended the 17th East Asia Summit in November, where he called for the Russia-Ukraine conflict to cease and for all parties involved to resort to diplomacy. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) must also do its part to aid in the diplomatic process.

The President emphasized that all possible efforts must be exerted to bring peace to Ukraine. He echoed the call of the ASEAN foreign ministers in their joint statement in August last year, which called for maximum restraint and urged all parties to refrain from provocative actions.