Kindred spirits: The extraordinary parallels between the Philippines and Ukraine

In Tiananmen Square earlier this month, a spectacle of three world leaders standing side by side greeted an estimated crowd of 50,000: Chinese Premier Xi Jinping, North Korea Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, and Russian President Vladimir Putin were smiling and projecting confidence, affirming their friendship and common motivations. The last time that the leaders of these three countries were seen together in a similar public display of solidarity was decades before, at the height of the Cold War.

Those present may have applauded, but the message that such a scene sent the rest of the world was chilling. They remind us of the daunting forces that destabilize the global order, threaten peace, and undermine the rules-based system. The events now happening in the world — China’s hegemonic aspirations in the Indo-Pacific, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, North Korea’s nuclear threat, as well as Iran’s proxy wars and the continuing conflict in the Middle East — are a reminder that those threats are alive and real.

Amid all these, what can the rest of the world do?

The only recourse is for countries who share the same concerns and values to band together to protect peace, sovereignty, and the rules-based order.

This is where the Philippines is with Ukraine, a country embattled by its three-and-a-half-year struggle to resist Russia’s invasion. Our partnership with Ukraine is deepening, fueled by our parallel circumstances and shared values and commitments.

Ukraine is courageously defending its territory against outright armed aggression, while the Philippines asserts its sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea in the face of coercion and incursions. Both of our peoples endure gray-zone tactics, hybrid warfare, and disinformation campaigns deliberately designed to weaken national resolve and undermine sovereignty, waged across multiple domains — from maritime and land to air and cyberspace.

These challenges notwithstanding, our nations also share the resolve that aggression has no place and that sovereignty cannot be defended in isolation. Both countries recognize that forging partnerships with like-minded states is indispensable to resisting unilateral actions that seek to redraw boundaries through intimidation and force.

The opportunities for cooperation between the Philippines and Ukraine are broad, particularly in defense and security. As the Philippines pursues defense modernization and strives for greater self-reliance through stronger local industries, Ukraine’s advances in drones, cyber defense, and counter-disinformation provide valuable models. These are particularly relevant for the Philippines, which has emerged as a hotspot for cyberattacks in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Stratbase Institute, in partnership with the Embassy of Ukraine in the Philippines, organized a high-level forum held on Sept. 23, part of the first-ever official visit to the Philippines of a Ukrainian delegation composed of Members of Parliament and representatives from leading analytical institutions.

The forum had two parts: the first panel examined the evolving security challenges confronting both the Philippines and Ukraine across multiple domains, given complex geopolitical pressures and external aggression. The second panel explored the evolving relationship between the Philippines and Ukraine amid a rapidly shifting global landscape. It highlighted opportunities for deepening cooperation across key areas such as diplomacy, development, security, and people-to-people exchange.

Ukraine’s Ambassador to the Philippines, Yuliia Fediv, spoke of the “strategic realignment that is taking place between Ukraine and the Philippines” and expressed her country’s commitment “to continue building this partnership in a way that is inclusive, multidimensional, and oriented toward the future.”

For their part, some members of Ukraine’s Parliament echoed this call for convergence. Member of Parliament Lesia Vasylenko urged the need to “build together an alliance against the axis of evil,” warning that authoritarian regimes are consolidating power and posing risks across both Europe and Asia.

Another MP, Tamila Tasheva, drew parallels between Ukraine’s defense of its sovereignty and the Philippines’ challenges in defending maritime rights against “powerful neighbors who test the limits of international law.” She pledged that “Ukraine stands ready to share its experience and to work with partners like the Philippines to ensure that aggression and illegal occupation never become acceptable in our world.”

Vadym Halaichuk, a member of Ukraine’s parliament, underscored that Kyiv’s foreign and security policy is now closely aligned with the European Union. He stressed that this alignment makes it easier to identify shared priorities with partners like the Philippines — from trade to security cooperation.

Through all these, the Philippines’ biggest lesson from Ukraine is that aggression must be acted upon immediately, as hesitation merely emboldens aggressors. Ukraine’s leaders said that every pause or concession allows further violations and greater risks. Building credible deterrence, therefore, is not just a strategic choice but a necessity for safeguarding sovereignty.

Defense and economic/food security are two areas for cooperation between the Philippines and Ukraine. Many such opportunities will be explored, as these are vital to building resilience.

The deepening of the cooperation between the Philippines and Ukraine is both urgent and strategic. The momentum is already here — the challenge is sustaining it. Our two countries are not simply reacting to today’s crises but shaping a future where smaller nations stand united, where aggression is deterred and where a rules-based international order can endure.