Bilateral talks between Pres. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and US Pres. Joe Biden
NEW YORK CITY — US President Joe Biden on Thursday thanked President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. for his stance on the war between Russia and Ukraine.
The two leaders met for the first time on Thursday where they held the first bilateral talks between their two countries.
In his remarks before the bilateral meeting, Biden told Marcos the US is “working very hard” to do something about the Russia and Ukraine conflict.
“We also thank you for your position on the war against Ukraine and — by Russia. And how it’s impacting energy prices and food prices. And we are working very hard to be able to do something about that,” the US President said.
In his inaugural speech last June, Marcos warned of “dark prospect of conflict” if “great powers” take the “wrong lessons” from the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
He said countries like the Philippines bear the brunt of wars abroad even though it seeks friendship with all.
“We face prospects of the spread of the war abroad of which we are totally blameless. We seek friendship with all but countries like ours will bear the brunt of it and if the great powers draw the wrong lessons from the ongoing tragedy in Ukraine, the same dark prospect of conflict will spread to our part of the world,” Marcos earlier said in his speech.
Also in June, Russian Ambassador to the Philippines Marat Pavlov said Marcos will maintain an “independent policy” on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
In his address before the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Biden slammed Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, calling on allied nations to give more support to Ukraine to combat the invasion.
He said Moscow had violated the core tenets of United Nations membership by invading Ukraine.
Biden also accused Russia of making “reckless” and “irresponsible” threats to use nuclear weapons.