“Friends, Long Live” Duterte Tells Russian Navy, Hopes Moscow Will Become Philippines’ “Ally And Protector”

On Tuesday, in a surprising move confirming the ongoing pivot by the Philippines away from the US sphere of geopolitical influence, and toward the China-Russia axis, the Russian destroyer Admiral Tributs and sea tanker Boris Butomato unexpectedly arrived in the Philippines to conduct military training exercises in what the Russian media described as “an unprecedented navy-to-navy contact between the two nations.”
The warships arrived in the region on Tuesday as Russian Navy Rear Admiral Eduard Mikhailov proclaimed a joint mission between Manila and Moscow to target the region’s two most pressing security concerns, maritime piracy and terrorism. The Rear Admiral said that “we’re very sure in the future” Russia and the Philippines will “get such exercises, maybe just the maneuvering.” Alternatively, “maybe just use some combat systems and so on,” he noted, so as not to tip Russia’s hand concerning its regional naval strategy.
A spokesman for the Philippine Navy told reporters this is the first official interaction with the Russian navy, an arch rival of its former colonial master and closest ally in the region, the United States. Mikhailov said they were willing to help train Philippine counterparts to fight piracy and terrorism and they hope to foster stronger security in the region.

This post was published at Zero Hedge on Jan 6, 2017.