The president of the Federated States of Micronesia pens a letter to the President of China appealing for their support to call for an end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

President David Panuelo of the Federated States of Micronesia is pleading for peace. In a letter signed and sent to China’s President Xi Jinping, Panuelo called for the leader to join the chorus around the world demanding peace and ultimately Russia’s withdrawal from Ukraine.

As Russia continues its brutal march forward, many military officials have warned of increased tensions in the Indo-Pacific, with another eye on China and its reach in Taiwan, which would have implications for the Pacific Islands if another battle were to erupt.

Panuelo wrote in his letter “The Federated States of Micronesia is committed to peace, and recognizes and appreciates that China feels precisely the same way because China fought—with diplomacy, not weapons—at the United Nations for our country to become sovereign and internationally recognized, among other countries", adding, “We have betrayed peoples’ dreams of peace, and the hopes of the young and the vulnerable. We have stopped being our neighbors’ keepers and stewards of our common humanity.”

Paneulo's communique concluded, “While I worry that the Russians and Americans will not listen to each other, I am convinced that both of them would listen to China, and I also believe that China taking on this leadership role would be in the interest of both the Federated States of Micronesia and the global community of nations.”

It was just two months ago when  FSM announced its severing diplomatic ties with the Russian Federation, "following the unjustified and brutal invasion" of Ukraine. The FSM government first established a diplomatic relationship with Russia on March 9, 1999.