Ukraine is fighting a war against the Russian aggression but the war is not only fought in the battlefield, it is also a war of words where disinformation is king.
On 17 March, I and my fellow EU ambassadors woke up to the words of the Russian Ambassador on the “situation” (ah, not a war!) in Ukraine where my Russian colleague develops the arguments laid out over and over by the Kremlin and the Russian propaganda machine.
His statement that “Russia has no plans to occupy Ukraine” is so shockingly untrue. Have you seen the images of the Russian military equipment in Ukraine? Are the three million Ukrainian refugees fleeing from a fake invader? Are people pushed away by their own government?
The next sentence is no less deplorable: “The Russian military does not carry out missile, air or artillery strikes against civilians”. Again, check the front pages of serious media outlets: attacks on hospitals, residential buildings, schools... to name just a few of the targets.
We trust the Filipinos to stand by the facts and the truth. While this war takes place in Europe, it will have repercussions for all of us, including in the Philippines. As I said to Secretary Locsin, after the Philippines voted in favor of the UN General Assembly resolution condemning the invasion, we must be united against those trampling the territorial integrity of others. We count on the Philippines to be on the side of those defending the principles of the UN Charter and working towards a world without war.
Finally, a word of thanks to the editors of the PSTAR for removing the op-ed from the on-line version. While all opinions must be heard, we cannot condone the alteration of reality.
– Luc Véron, Ambassador of the European Union, and all Ambassadors of the EU Member States accredited to the Philippines