MOSCOW (Sputnik) – In an interview published earlier in the day, Duterte told the RT broadcaster that Manila intends to cooperate with Moscow and Beijing rather than with Washington.
"Trump is great, it is possible to work with him," Duterte told the Rossiya-24 television channel.
In October, Duterte stated that it was "time to say goodbye" to the United States’ use of Philippine land for military bases, secured by a deal signed by Duterte’s predecessor. However, earlier this month, he said that Manila could not break ties with Washington, reiterating however that Philippines did not need to tie its policy to the United States.
The relations between the United States and Philippines are unprecedentedly tensed over repeated comments by Duterte that have cast doubt on future US-Philippine relations.
On November 8, Duterte claimed he would cancel an order for 26,000 US-made M16 rifles, originally intended to arm the country’s national police, to "look for a cheaper source."
The following day, Duterte congratulated US President-elect Donald Trump and expressed hope that relations between the two nations would improve in the future.
