Call for troop pullout from Ukraine, tag nuke use as ’unacceptable’
The Philippines and Japan “deplored in the strongest terms” the aggression made by the Russian Federation against Ukraine and called for its complete and unconditional withdrawal from the territory of Ukraine.
According to a joint statement of the two countries issued by the Embassy of Japan, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made the position during a Summit-level Working Dinner on Thursday evening, in relation to the hostilities happening in other countries.
“In this context, the two leaders stressed that the use or threat of nuclear weapons is unacceptable,” the statement indicated.
“The two leaders also strongly opposed any attempt to jeopardize the foundation of the international order which does not accept any change of the internationally recognized borders by force or coercion affecting Europe and any part of the world,” it added.
Early in the conflict, US defense analysts have said Russia mightemploy tactical nuclear strikes to bring Ukraine down faster, but fears of this possibility have waned in recent weeks, the New York Times reported last week.
Marcos is in Japan for an official visit that aims to strengthen ties between Manila and Tokyo. He will be back in the country on Sunday, February 12.
The joint statement represents the strongest condemnation yet by Manila of Moscow following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has now lasted a year.
Previously, President Marcos described the Russia-Ukraine war as“unacceptable” and reiterated his call for both nations to end the conflict diplomatically.
“War is unacceptable and we ask all parties involved, there were several speeches that I made, urging that peace be brought back to Ukraine and that the confrontation be brought to the diplomatic space,” he said last month.
Ukraine has been in conflict with Russia since February 2022, leading to the death of thousands and driving millions of Ukrainians to flee the country.
Mr. Marcos and PM Kishida further condemned North Korea’s ongoing development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles “including the unprecedented number of ballistic missiles [launched] last year.”
They also reiterated the commitment “to achieving the complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of all weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles of all ranges of North Korea.”
Reports last year said North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles, which triggered an alert to residents in parts of central and northern Japan to seek shelter.
Moreover, the two leaders denounced the abductions of Japanese citizens allegedly made by North Korea over the years as they also urged Pyongyang to immediately resolve the abductions issue.
They reaffirmed their intention to work closely for nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation with a view to maintaining and strengthening the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)
Meanwhile, the Philippines and Japan are looking to have more substantial defense engagements in the coming years, after Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr.’s meeting with Japanese Defense Minister Hamada Yasukazu on Thursday on the sidelines of President Marcos Jr.’s official visit.
“The meeting concluded with the two countries looking forward to substantial defense engagements in the future, such as a possible reciprocal visit of Japan’s Defense Minister in the Philippines, as well as the Philippines’ hosting of the 2nd Foreign and Defense Ministerial (2+2) Meeting,” Department of National Defense spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said in a statement Friday.
The two defense chiefs acknowledged the substantial progress of bilateral defense cooperation, especially on the recent signing of the Terms of Reference (TOR) concerning humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) activities between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF).
“Both sides looked forward to the full implementation of the TOR in enhancing interoperability and capacities (of) the AFP and the JSDF on disaster response,” Andolong said.
Galvez also took the opportunity to express appreciation to Japan for its provision of training, and search and rescue (SAR) equipment for the 525th Engineering Combat Battalion of the Philippine Army.
The same engineering combat battalion is part of the Philippine Humanitarian Team to Türkiye in light of the recent earthquake (see story on A1—Editors).
Meanwhile, Hamada discussed Japan’s new National Security Strategy, which was recently published in December 2022 that aims to reinforce Japan’s defense capabilities, including counterstrike capabilities.
Galvez expressed appreciation for Japan’s transparency on its new defense policies, and conveyed that Manila would continue to work with Tokyo in ensuring a peaceful, stable, and rules-based Indo-Pacific region.
Both ministers also exchanged views on regional security developments and discussed various areas of cooperation through bilateral, minilateral, and multilateral platforms.