RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin praised President Rodrigo Duterte for pursuing a pivot to China and vowed that his leadership would not be bullied or taken for granted by his newfound allies, an official said Wednesday.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. quoted Putin as telling Duterte about his approval of Duterte’s pivot against the United States when they met in Lima at the sidelines of the Apec meeting there.
“This is what President Putin essentially said to PRRD [Duterte] when they first met in Lima: “The toughness and dedication you showed in directing an independent foreign policy and separating from dependency and submission made everyone listen. Now the Philippines under your leadership will not be bullied or taken for granted,” Yasay said in a Facebook post.
He told reporters in Lima before leaving for Auckland that Duterte expressed joy after he and Putin became “fast friends” and Putin repeatedly invited him to Russia.
Duterte said he repeatedly told Putin that he was already shifting toward China and Russia as he embarked on an independent foreign policy and said America was bullying small nations.
Putin’s response to Duterte’s attacks on the United States was never known after the journalists covering the bilateral talks were asked to leave the room.
