News Release

PBBM on Ukraine-Russia conflict: ‘We must continue to protect sovereignty of each nation’


President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday raised the need to protect the sovereignty of each nation in the face of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

“I think we are in full agreement that we must continue to protect the sovereignty, not just sovereign rights, but the sovereignty of each nation, no matter where they are and that the situation in Ukraine cannot continue and it is something that is really anachronistic in the modern world,” Marcos said when asked about his takeaway from his meetings with US officials and lawmakers regarding international security.

The President made the remark during a question-and-answer session at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington.

Marcos said the Philippines had been straightforward in supporting the resolutions passed by the UN in the war in Ukraine.

“And that we respect the sovereignty and territoriality of every single nation in the world. And that applies most certainly because they are in this incredibly critical situation where there is an outright war going on,” he said.

In his attendance at the 17th East Asia Summit in November, the President said the Russia-Ukraine conflict should stop and all stakeholders must resort to diplomacy, with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) doing its share to help in the diplomatic process.

Marcos stressed nations should exert all possible efforts to bring peace to Ukraine.

The chief executive also echoed the call of the ASEAN foreign ministers in their joint statement in August last year calling for maximum restraint as they urged all parties to refrain from provocative action. (PND)