Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that nations must work together to clarify that no country should try or even think about taking over other independent nations.
Zelensky said this in a television interview as he concluded his short visit to the Philippines to meet President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Malacañang to invite his Filipino counterpart to the inaugural Global Peace Summit in Switzerland on 15 June.
In the interview, Zelensky drew parallels between Ukraine's ongoing conflict with Russia and the challenges faced by the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea, particularly regarding China's aggressive actions in the region.
"I think that there are a lot of similar things and a lot of challenges, that's why we spoke with the President that now, we need unity because if Ukraine falls down, if Russia occupies us totally, this war will see this war in other continents and it can be in new direction, in new region and it's a big tragedy, lot of casualties," Zelensky said.
"So we have to be in unity, not to give Russia to occupy Ukraine, not to give them any possibility to win in this unprovoked war and that will be the signal. If Ukraine stays strong, with the unity, with the diplomacy, with the unity in diplomacy of different countries in different regions; if we will stay strong, it means that it will give a very importantsignal to other countries not to try, even to think how to occupy other independent countries," Zelensky added.
Zelensky highlighted the need for unity in the face of external threats, emphasizing that if Ukraine were to fall to Russian occupation, the repercussions would extend to other continents, including the Philippines and other regions.
Hence, the Ukrainian President said that "the region's voice is very important" in expressing solidarity with the Eastern European country amid the war with Russia, which started in 2022.
"We have to be in unity, not to give Russia to occupy Ukraine, not to give them any possibility to win in this unprovoked war. And that will be the signal," Zelensky said.
"Your voice is very important. This region is very important," Zelensky added.
Zelensky's comments come at a time of heightened tensions in the West Philippine Sea, where China has been accused of harassing Philippine vessels and encroaching on its territorial waters. The Philippines, like Ukraine, faces the challenge of defending its sovereignty against a larger and more powerful neighbor.
The Ukrainian President also said that it is important for Marcos to be at the Swiss-organized summit as they are expected to tackle three important issues there.
"The first one will be food security, I think it's also very important in our bilateral relations between us and the Philippines. Nuclear security, that's important for all the world, I think so," he said.
"The third one, [the] humanitarian one, where we count on your support— how to get back our Ukrainian stolen children that Russia has stolen— 20,000 of our children from occupied territories," he added.
"We need to get them back and we need to find the mechanism of getting back children. It's a pity but we have to bring them home," he continued.
Ukraine has reported that 31,000 of its military personnel have died since the conflict began, while Russia acknowledged in September 2022 that fewer than 6,000 of its soldiers had been killed but has not provided an updated figure since. It is suspected that both countries have been downplaying the true number of fatalities.