KUALA LUMPUR – The Ukraine diplomatic mission here is of the view that Malaysian officials should pay a visit to Kyiv since the country had previously condemned Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking to Scoop, Ukraine’s Chargé d’Affaires to Malaysia Denys Mykhailuk said that a diplomatic visit by Malaysia would show consistency with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s stance at the United Nations general assembly (Unga) in September last year.
Mykhailuk disclosed that, to date, there has been no high-level contact between Malaysia and Ukraine “for a long time”.
“As of now, to be consistent with the strong condemnation of the Russian aggression done on Unga last year, Malaysian political leaders should visit Ukraine,” Mykhailuk said when contacted.
The Ukrainian representative’s comments come on the heels of Anwar’s visit with President Vladimir Putin’s visit at Vladivostok, Russia on Wednesday, where the Tambun MP expressed the desire for a stronger relationship with the veto-wielding nation.
During the bilateral meeting, Anwar who is slated to become Asean chairman, said that he expects Putin’s participation at Asean’s summit next year.
Further, in addition to receiving an invite to join this year’s BRICS Summit from Russia, Anwar also took the opportunity to express his views on the ongoing war in Ukraine. He urged Putin to end the conflict through negotiations instead.
BRICS is an intergovernmental organisation comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates.
At the United Nations General Assembly meeting in September 2023, Anwar condemned Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and urged the initial community to take the same stand in opposing Israel’s violation of international laws in Palestine. – September 5, 2024