THE top Ukrainian diplomat in Malaysia must have felt some pressure from his home office over President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s seeming disregard of a request of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that they talk over the telephone, so that the envoy vented his disappointment before media during a press conference.
The embassy of Ukraine in Malaysia also handles that country’s relations with the Philippines. Chargé d’affaires of the Ukraine Embassy in Malaysia said they have been trying to have the two leaders talk to each other since Marcos assumed office in June 2022 but to no avail.
At the outset, it would seem that Mykhailiuk has done a diplomatic faux pas here, in talking with the media about his frustration. But we understand that his country is at war — with Russia no less — and his president is constrained by circumstances to seek the friendship, cooperation and support of as many countries as possible, especially in international forums such as the United Nations.
‘The President, who is the chief architect of the nation’s foreign policy, has reiterated that the Philippines supports “any effort towards peace” anywhere in the globe, realizing that war and any form of instability only result in regress.’
Even so, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has called out the Ukrainian envoy for expressing his remarks before the media, saying the move was undiplomatic. This newspaper agrees.
Mykhailiuk later apologized for “any misunderstanding,” and clarified he was not complaining about the Philippines having yet to respond to the request.
“While I was talking about the relations with the Philippines, I’ve told that we would like to have some improvements on the bilateral level and that’s why we have our request, which was sent when President Marcos was elected and it was still pending,” he said in a television interview.
He explained that the press conference was about Zelenskiy’s peace plan which will be presented to the United Nations next month and which Ukraine wants to discuss with the Philippines.
It is well and timely for President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to have clarified that he did not snub the call of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for a phone conversation, saying he has always been willing to talk with the European leader.
Marcos said he was surprised by Mykhailiuk’s earlier remarks, saying both sides have been trying to set a schedule so he and Zelenskiy could talk. The President clarified that it isn’t true that they were not responding, (“We responded, but we couldn’t get it scheduled”), that’s why he was surprised at the Ukrainian envoy’s statement.
President Marcos said he has no problem talking with President Zelenskiy, especially now that the war in his country is still ongoing.
The President, who is the chief architect of the nation’s foreign policy, has reiterated that the Philippines supports “any effort towards peace” anywhere in the globe, realizing that war and any form of instability only result in regress.
He said the Philippines will always be on the side of peace and will express support for initiatives leading toward it if needed.
