The call made by President Marcos Jr. for a diplomatic solution to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict raises hope for a global economic recovery that is now about to hit hard many of the poor countries now wallowing in huge debts and about to get hit by an economic tsunami unrivalled in scope from previous economic crashes. After all, the reason for the inflation spikes that have hit developed economies like the United States and emerging countries like the Philippines has its roots in the Ukraine crisis.
That call made during the 17th East Asia Summit provides a diplomatic avenue for the conflict’s resolution, which, after all, has its roots from the failure of the Minsk 1 and Minsk 2 peace protocols. That it was made with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) as a launchpad speaks volumes about the way the Ukraine crisis is being viewed from the East: a resolution via diplomacy. The East, it seems, has always sought peace talks, while the West would rather opt to bang the drums of war, an unfortunate episode in this era where the possibility of a nuclear winter is just a push away.
PBBM’s call for Asean to take the lead in the pursuit of peace in the ongoing conflict should be heeded by all stakeholders in the conflict, not so much for the economic miseries it had foisted on the world but for preventing a climate cooling off with the sun clouded due to nuclear bombs that will take out half of the world’s population. The time for diplomacy is now. It should not be postponed for the world is teetering towards an economic crash never before envisioned.
The International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and all other multilateral agencies providing aid to the poor countries have already sounded an alarm on the foreboding economic winter as a result of the continued Ukraine conflict. A way for a diplomatic solution should be crafted much like that of a diplomatic breakthrough made by Turkey in the shipment of grains and fertilizer from Ukraine’s battle zones.
That one was commendable as it involved both Ukraine and Russia joining hands in having ships skirting mines, and jointly doing patrols that no bombs rain away on the ships with cargoes of grains and fertilizer. That diplomatic breakthrough hatched with the United Nations ensured the supply of grains to many countries about to starve, and this is one way for resolving the crisis.
What President Marcos said at the 17th East Asia Summit should be heeded and right away. For him, the Russia-Ukraine conflict should stop and all stakeholders must resort to diplomacy, with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations doing its share to help in the diplomatic process. Buttonholed by mediamen, he said: “Ang comment ko tungkol sa Ukraine, sinabi ko na kailangan talaga eh matigil ang giyera at mag-usap na sila sa lalong madaling panahon. At dapat ang Asean ay gawin ang lahat ng kayang gawin para tulungan ’yung prosesong ’yan.”
He also asked all nations to exert all possible avenues to bring peace to Ukraine and move the confrontation there to the diplomatic table. The snag, though, is that while the Western media outlets write about the need to resume talks on a peaceful settlement to the crisis in Ukraine, those in the West, the US, Canada and West Europe are doing all they can to let the conflict drag on. What they do is to pump Ukraine with so many weapons that a red flag has been raised on war materiel getting into the hands of extremists and criminals.
Reports said that US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan confirmed on November 4 during his stay in Kyiv that Washington would send Kyiv another military aid package worth $400 million. This will include over 1,000 kamikaze drones, 250 M1117 armored vehicles, 40 armored riverboats, and for the first time, 45 upgraded T-72 tanks. The total amount of Washington’s officially announced military aid to Kyiv since the start of the special military operation has already reached $18.2 billion. And this is just what was announced officially.
The supply of war materiel is a case in point in the continued trajectory of the Ukraine conflict that has affected much of the world. The drums of war should be discontinued and in its place a diplomatic solution should be crafted. President Marcos’s appeal for peace and diplomacy is what the world needs to take us a step away from a nuclear precipice.