Philippines hopes to maintain ties with Russia after dropping defense deal

The Philippine defense department said Tuesday that officials hoped to maintain relations with Moscow despite having announced plans to cancel a 12.7 billion peso (U.S. $216 million) helicopter deal over concerns tied to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

There have been communications with Sovtechnoexport LLC since August when the government of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. formally sent Russia a termination notice, the Philippine Department of National Defense said in a statement. Representatives from both sides are continuing to have discussions while the process to cancel the deal proceeds. 

“This project is only a small part, and not the sum, of our bilateral relations with Russia. It is our hope that this episode will be concluded in an amicable manner for both parties,” the statement said.

Department spokesman Arsenio Andolong said defense officials expect that relations would remain amicable after the termination talks end.

“That is hope at the defense department because as we said this is not the sum total of our relations with Russia,” Andolong told reporters, referring to the deal that would have seen the Philippines purchase 16 Mi-17 heavy-lift helicopters.

The administration of then-President Rodrigo Duterte signed the helicopter contract with Sovtechnoexport in November 2021 and made a down payment of 2 billion pesos ($34 million) two months later. Delivery was to start next year.

“This [helicopter deal] is just a business transaction between the department and Sovtechnoexport and it does not represent the diplomatic ties we have with Russia,” Andolong said.

The department wants the contract terminated over concerns about U.S. sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act of 2017 that prohibits countries from purchasing Russian military hardware.

Meanwhile, Manila’s ambassador to Washington recently announced that the Philippine government was looking to acquire military helicopters and nuclear power technology from the United States.

Duterte, who left office in June at the end of his term, was not shy about expressing his admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, especially during the earlier part of his term when he sought to distance the Philippines from the U.S., Manila’s long-time ally.

But before leaving office, Duterte rebuked Putin over Russia’s attack on Ukraine in February. Duterte called it a full-scale military campaign and not a special operation as Moscow had described it. 

“Many say that Putin and I are both killers. I’ve long told you Filipinos that I really kill. But I kill criminals, I don’t kill children and the elderly,” Duterte said at the time. “We’re in two different worlds.”

Relations with Russia

Previously, Russian forces visited the Philippines in 2017 and in November 2021. The most-recent trip involved a squadron of five ships from the Russian Pacific Fleet that docked in Manila for a brief goodwill visit.

In 2018, the Philippines signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Russia during Duterte’s visit to Moscow. The agreement includes cooperation against terrorism, drug trafficking and other transnational crimes.

Andolong noted that there were instances where defense deals with other countries had failed but did not lead to a rupture in ties.

“We hope that it won’t [affect our friendly relations] but that’s also up to the Russian side on how they treat this particular episode,” Andolong said, noting the existing relationship between the countries.

“It has nuances that are not present with other defense cooperation agreements but it is functional,” he said.

The Russian Embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to BenarNews requests for comment.