Philippines' Duterte Criticizes Putin Over Ukraine Killings

Facts

• On Mon., Philippine Pres. Duterte urged Russian Pres. Putin to take action to prevent the killing of innocent civilians in Ukraine.¹
• He described the conflict as a war against a 'sovereign nation' and blamed the invasion for the spike in global oil prices. However, he also emphasized that he wasn't condemning the Russian leader.¹
• This move is exceptional among leaders with close ties with Putin, who have so far avoided expressing their opinions and remained neutral in the conflict.¹
• Duterte compared his war on drugs with Russia's invasion of Ukraine in an attempt to dissociate himself from Putin, claiming he kills 'criminals,' not children and the elderly.¹
• He is currently being investigated by the International Criminal Court for his anti-drugs campaign, which has left more than 6k criminals dead. Human rights groups allege this figure is even higher and that the number includes innocent adults and children.¹
• Duterte will be stepping down as president on June 30, after a turbulent six-year term.¹

Sources: ¹CBS.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by The Daily Beast. Regardless of his effort to detach himself from the Russian leader, Duterte is no different from Putin, a man who he idolizes and calls a friend. His anti-drug policy has led to the deaths of thousands and the ICC is rightly investigating him for crimes against humanity.
• Narrative B, as provided by Associated Press. Duterte is rightly concerned about the suffering of innocent people and his statements reflect his intention to advise a long-time friend and ally to retake control of delinquent forces for the sake of civilian lives.