Russian ships in Philippines as Manila diversifies away from US
Five Russian navy ships have arrived in the Philippines to deliver military equipment donated by Russia, amid Manila’s deteriorating relations with the United States.
Rear Admiral E. Mikhailov, a Russian commander, said three anti-submarine ships, one landing ship, and a rescue tug docked in Manila on Friday.
Two other vessels will be arriving at the port of Subic Bay, northwest of Manila, on Saturday to unload more donated military equipment, the Philippine Navy said in a statement.
No details were available about the types of equipment donated, but Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte had earlier said Russia would provide 5,000 assault rifles to the Philippines.
The equipment has come ahead of a visit by Russia’s top defense official to the Philippines to sign a security deal.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu will be joining next week’s meeting of 10 Southeast Asian defense ministers with counterparts from eight other countries, including the US, Russia and China, in the Philippines.
The 71-year-old Duterte has had a rocky relationship with the US, which has criticized his war on drugs.
American troops set foot in the Philippines before the advent of the 20th century and have since had perpetual presence in the country. Many Filipinos believe that decades of military and economic influence by the US in the Philippines have dealt a heavy blow to the country.
In September, Duterte told the media that he would be ending Manila’s longtime dependency on the US and would consider looking to Russia and China to supply its military and security needs.
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