The European leader heads to the Philippines after attending the Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore.
On Monday, June 3, Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Philippine President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos inside the Malacañang Palace in Manila.
Zelenskyy, who arrived in the Philippines on Sunday night, went to the country to personally meet with Marcos after attending the International Institute for Strategic Studies Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore last week.
During his one-on-one meeting with the Filipino chief executive, the Ukranian leader thanked his local counterpart for his support to Ukraine, especially in the ongoing war that it has with Russia.
He also vowed to further strengthen the ties between the nations, and announced Ukraine will finally open its embassy in Manila later this year.
This, as the two countries are celebrating 32 years of bilateral ties that began in April 1992, just months after Ukraine became independent following the dissolution of the United Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) in December 1991.
In terms of trade, Ukraine is ranked as the Philippines’ 119th export market and 76th import source, as of 2022.
Zelenskyy also thanked Marcos for the Philippines’ participation in the global peace summit in Switzerland, although it is unclear yet whether the Filipino leader will attend the event personally or will be represented by an envoy.
In his interview with GMA Integrated News, Zelenskyy drew parallels in the conflict between his country and Russia and the tensions between the Philippines and China over the West Philippine Sea.
The Ukranian leader also warned that the rest of the world should not let his nation “fall down,” saying that if Russia occupies Ukraine in this war, “we will see this wae in other continents. It could be in your direction, in your region. It’s a big tragedy.”
45-year-old Volodymyr Zelenskyy was elected President of Ukraine in 2019 after winning nearly 3/4 of the votes in his country.
His five-year-term was originally scheduled to end in May 2024, however, due to the ongoing war with Russia and the imposition of martial law, he is expected to remain on his post throughout the duration of the conflict.