Pentagon Claims US 'Better Partner' For Philippines Than Russia

Pentagon Claims US 'Better Partner' for Philippines Than Russia

Randall Schriver, the US assistant defense secretary for Asian and Pacific security affairs, warned on Thursday that the Philippines' purchase of Russian military equipment might have an adverse impact on the country's cooperation with the United States, claiming that Washington was a better partner for Manila than Moscow

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th August, 2018) Randall Schriver, the US assistant defense secretary for Asian and Pacific security affairs, warned on Thursday that the Philippines' purchase of Russian military equipment might have an adverse impact on the country's cooperation with the United States, claiming that Washington was a better partner for Manila than Moscow.

Earlier on Thursday, during a roundtable with journalists at the US Embassy in the Philippines, Schriver was asked to comment on Manila's plans to purchase Russian heavy equipment, in particular, submarines.

"If they were to proceed with purchasing major Russian equipment, I don't think that's a helpful thing to do [in our] alliance and I think ultimately we can be a better partner than the Russians can be," Schriver said, as quoted by the Rappler news portal.

Earlier in August, media reported that Russia had offered the Philippine government its help in purchasing the submarines. The deal, in particular, provides for the allocation of a subsidized loan to Manila, which would be repaid over several years. The Philippine authorities are currently considering the proposal.

At a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on August 2, Philippine Foreign Minister Alan Peter Cayetano said that Manila would not turn down the purchase of Russian equipment, even in the face of possible US sanctions.