Gov't Scraps Russia Helicopter Deal For Fear Of US Sanctions

AP reporting that the Philippines gov't has scrapped a deal with Moscow for the provision of 16 military transport helicopters for fear of invoking US sanctions. The deal was made under the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte, but former Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana stated late on Tuesday that “We could face sanctions,” if the deal went ahead.

• Lorenzana remains in a gov't position, having been appointed by new President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. to head up an agency transforming former military bases into business parks.
• Under the Duterte gov't, the Philippines trod a fine line between closer ties to Russia and the US. Duterte was a close friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, but Manila remained and still is a treaty ally of the United States.
• Scrapping the deal could be a sign that the Marcos Jr gov't could be more inclined to maintain close links with the US. However, Marcos Jr is also seen as wanting to improve ties with Beijing, which would prove another security concern for Washington, D.C. As such, the US' concerns with the Philippines could move from one of Manila being within Moscow's sphere of influence to being within Beijing's.