DFA: Philippine consular team now in Ukraine as US warns Russian invasion still possible

The Philippine government has sent a consular team to Ukraine to supervise requests for relocation or repatriation of dozens of Filipinos who wish to leave the country, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Monday as the United States warned that Russian invasion may still be possible. Now in Ukraine's Western city of Lviv, the two-man team from the Philippine embassy in Warsaw, Poland would ensure faster coordination with the Filipino community and relevant authorities in the country, the DFA said. Approximately 380 Filipinos are living in Ukraine, most of whom are in Kyiv and located far from the eastern border near Russia. "Two personnel from the embassy, composed of a Consul and an ATN Officer, in coordination with the Philippine Honorary Consulate General in Kyiv, arrived in Lviv last Thursday. The embassy team immediately established an emergency contact base," the DFA said. Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier announced scaling down some of its troops from Ukraine's border, but US officials said they have yet to verify this claim, with President Joe Biden saying Russia is still in a "very much threatening position." The DFA said the team met two groups of Filipinos who have already been relocated to the Lviv area from Kyiv as precautionary measure. Another group of Filipino nationals temporarily relocated to the Ivano-Frankivsk area from Kyiv was also met by the consular officers. The DFA said the team will continue to monitor the situation in Ukraine as well as connect with the Filipinos in the country who have registered with the embassy in Poland, which has jurisdiction over Ukraine. Manila has no embassy in Ukraine. Last week, the first batch of six Filipinos, who sought Philippine government assistance for repatriation, have returned to Manila from Ukraine. The DFA said the Philippine Honorary Consulate General in Kyiv is also assisting the consular team in arranging the repatriation of Filipinos who will avail of the Philippine government’s voluntary repatriation program from Ukraine. — RSJ, GMA News

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