Report: Philippines Mulls $7.5 Million Russian Arms Deal, Violating U.S. Sanctions

The Philippines is teetering on the edge of breaching sanctions imposed by the United States if it moves forward with an estimated $7.5 million deal to purchase grenade launchers from blacklisted Russian state-owned firm Rosoboronexport, Reuters reports Wednesday.

Citing anonymous Filipino defense and U.S. officials, Reuters notes that the deal, which would mark the first purchase of Russian weapons by Manila, “could test” the Philippines’ “longtime security alliance with Washington.”

A senior Philippines defense official told Reuters U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has not officially notified Manila about the Rosoboronexport-linked sanctions.

“It’s still a go until we are informed,” the official declared, referring to the Philippines arms deal with Russia.

Without specifying what specific sanctions it could impose on the Philippines over the purchase of Russian military equipment, unnamed Trump administration officials stressed that the United States had put foreign governments and private sector entities on notice that “significant transactions with any of the 39 listed entities,” which includes Rosoboronexport as of April, “will result in sanctions.”

“American allies who buy weapons and equipment from Russia, the world’s second-largest arms exporter, would also be penalized and could see the transfer of those arms disrupted,” Reuters explains.

So far, the United States has served as the Philippines primary source of military equipment and support.

Tensions have plagued the nearly 70-year-old security alliance between the United States and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte since former American President Barack Obama denounced Manila’s extrajudicial crackdown on drug traffickers and addicts that left tens of thousands of people dead or wounded.

Duterte has threatened to completely break ties with the United States and join a “new world order” led by communist China and the rogue Russian regime.

Although the White House insisted in April 2017 that “the United States-Philippines alliance … is now heading in a very positive direction,” Duterte reportedly declined U.S. President Donald Trump’s invitation to the White House.

Reuters now reveals:

A senior Philippine general familiar with the deal said Manila had agreed in October last year to a 400 million peso ($7.48 million) purchase of 750 RPG-7B rocket propelled grenade launchers from Russia’s state-owned Rosoboronexport, but the transfer had yet to be completed.

U.S. sanctions were imposed last year against any country trading with Russia’s defense and intelligence sectors. The law is designed to punish Russia for its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, its support for Syria’s government and alleged meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Although Russia has donated weapons and other military equipment to the Philippines, Manila has never actually paid for Russian arms, Reuters points out.

Following in the footsteps of Russia, Duterte indicated earlier this year that it plans to pull the Philippines out of the International Criminal Court (ICC) where the Filipino leader is facing a case for allegedly using “death squads” to combat drug-linked violence as mayor of his native Davao City, a position he held for 22 years before becoming president.

“Duterte wants closer ties with China and Russia and has ordered the army and police to engage with countries which do not impose conditions on weapons sales. Some U.S. legislators campaigned to block sales of 26,000 assault rifles to the Philippines in May 2017 because of human rights concerns over an anti-narcotics campaign that has killed thousands of Filipinos,” Reuters points out.

Duterte canceled that particular deal.