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Firefighters work on a fire on a building after bombings on the eastern Ukraine town of Chuguiv on February 24, 2022, as Russian armed forces are trying to invade Ukraine from several directions, using rocket systems and helicopters to attack Ukrainian position in the south, the border guard service said. Russia’s ground forces on Thursday crossed into Ukraine from several directions, Ukraine’s border guard service said, hours after President Vladimir Putin announced the launch of a major offensive. Russian tanks and other heavy equipment crossed the frontier in several northern regions, as well as from the Kremlin-annexed peninsula of Crimea in the south, the agency said. (AFP / Aris Messinis)
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has again stood behind a United Nations resolution demanding Russia’s withdrawal from Ukraine, while in a dramatic reversal, the United States has sided with Moscow for the first time in its vote since Russia’s full-scale invasion began three years ago.
The European-backed UN General Assembly resolution, which passed with 93 votes in favor on Tuesday, February 25, notes “with concern the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation has persisted for three years and continues to have devastating and long-lasting consequences not only for Ukraine, but also for other regions and global stability.” It also demands that Russia immediately withdraws all its military forces from Ukraine and for the “immediate cessation of the hostilities by the Russian Federation against Ukraine.”
The Philippines’ affirmative vote on Tuesday maintains the country’s stance since the start of Russia’s all-out war on Ukraine, having voted in favor of at least five previous similar UNGA resolutions adopted since 2022 calling for an end to Russia’s aggression.
Divergence. The US vote, meanwhile, marks the first time Washington has diverged from the Philippines and other European allies in supporting Ukraine’s territorial integrity at the UNGA. The US was among 14 countries that voted against the resolution, joining Russia, North Korea, Belarus, Hungary, Israel, Sudan, among others.
After opposing the European-drafted resolution at the General Assembly, Washington then drafted and filed its own resolution at the more powerful UN Security Council, where Russia and the US are permanent members.
The US-backed Security Council resolution called for an end to the conflict but notably contained no criticism of Russia or mention of its role as the aggressor. This resolution eventually passed with 10 affirmative votes, though US allies like the United Kingdom and France abstained after their attempts to revise the wording were vetoed.
Sticking to stance. When asked if the Philippines would follow the US’ shift toward a more neutral stance on Ukraine, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo made it clear Manila would maintain its own position.
“We maintained our [position] on the last resolution,” Manalo said in an interview with NewsWatch Plus that aired Thursday.
“As far as we’re concerned, we still support the basic fundamental principles of international law and the UN Charter. And that’s, on that basis, we supported the [resolution on the] conflict in Ukraine,” Manalo added.
He added the US resolution “was basically calling for peace.”
US President Donald Trump has said that he is pushing to secure compensation for billions of dollars in Ukraine aid approved under the previous Biden administration.
The US president said he wants Ukraine to provide rare earth minerals, oil, or other resources in exchange for American support. — Cristina Chi
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Credit belongs to: www.philstar.com
