By Monsi A. Serrano
The war in Ukraine is a product of Russia’s betrayal and greed.
Betrayal because under the Budapest Memorandum which was signed at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Budapest, Hungary on December 5, 1994, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine will give up their nuclear weapons and Russia, the United States, and the United Kingdom agreed that they will not use military force or economic coercion against former, “except in self-defense or otherwise in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.”
As I said in my speech last year in Kyiv, Ukraine at the Crimea Global: Understanding Ukraine Through South when I was invited to talk about food security and how to stop Russia’s propaganda, the Philippines and Ukraine are on the same boat.
The Philippines’ neighbor China is obsessed with expansionism just like Russia. Both Russia and China’s ambition is to control the world–with Russia controlling the West, and China the East. The lawlessness and wanton disregard for the rule of law reflect the unfriendly (to say the least) behavior of the two countries.
Russia, despite signing the Budapest Memorandum, still attacked and waged war against Ukraine–the death and destruction still dragging now for almost 2 /1/2 years now. On the other hand, China is a signatory of United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea but refuses to recognize the arbitral ruling which unanimously ruled in favor of the Philippines and negating China’s claim of having historical right over waters covered by its so-called nine-dash line.
The Philippines is not the only one under threat. Taiwan as well is on the sights of China, which seems to be using Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine as a template for its regard of Taiwan and Philippines.
Given this kind of pattern, in my humble opinion, the Philippines under the leadership of Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. should join the call of both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Swiss President Viola Amherd for a unified strategy in ending the war in Ukraine, through the Global Peace Summit in Lucerne, Switzerland in June 2024.
The Peace Summit is set to gather world leaders from 150 countries and discuss diverse perspectives on the peace process and initiate the development of a collective framework aimed at restoring peace in Ukraine. It also seeks to reaffirm commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity of states within their internationally recognized borders, aiming to restore peace for Ukraine and ensure global stability.
As of this writing, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, together with Ukraine’s First Deputy Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, former non-resident ambassador of Ukraine to the Philippines and now Director of Fourth Territorial Department General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Olexander Nechytaylo, and Denys Mykhailiuk, who is chargé d’affaires of the Embassy of Ukraine in Malaysia, are now in the Philippines.
It will be a great opportunity for President Marcos to discuss how Philippines can support this Global Peace Summit.
The Philippines’ participation in the Global Peace Summit will strengthen Ukraine’s commitment to an inclusive approach to achieving peace.
Meanwhile, speaking to THEPHILBIZNEWS, CDA Mykhailiuk said that this summit offers the Philippines “a significant opportunity to actively contribute to shaping a peaceful future, aligning with the core values of sovereignty, unity, and lasting peace.”