Meddlesome ‘bloody’ Putin

“For the Philippines, aligning with the United States is a strategic decision based on decades of historical ties and common security interests.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared plans to begin the development of intermediate and short-range nuclear weapons in direct retaliation for what he claimed to be the United States’ deployment of comparable missiles in Europe and Asia, including the Philippines.

As Cold War-era methods resurface with Russia’s and China’s expansionist moves in Ukraine and the South China Sea (SCS), respectively, it is easy to understand why the Philippines has allowed not just missiles but other US military assets on its soil.

The hosting by the Philippines of US troops and war materiel is not just a sovereign prerogative that no one can challenge, but also a strategic decision as Filipinos take stock of China’s aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea, which overlaps the SCS.

After all, the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the Philippines and America permits US forces to stockpile military assets and construct facilities at many Philippine sites.

Putin, citing the US-Philippine alliance to justify his country’s decision to ramp up missile production, largely ignores Manila’s and its Southeast Asian neighbors’ legitimate security concerns.

Beijing’s activities have blatantly encroached on Philippine sovereignty and have far-reaching consequences for regional stability for the United States not to increase its military presence in the region.

In the Philippines, America’s strategic deployments under EDCA include locations such as the Antonio Bautista Air Base (Palawan), Basa Air Base (Pampanga), Fort Magsaysay (Nueva Ecija), Lumbia airstrip (Cagayan de Oro), and the Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base (Cebu).

These deployments are part of a larger strategy to strengthen the Philippines’ defense capabilities and ensure it can effectively respond to threats to its sovereignty. The presence of US missiles and other military hardware at these locations highlights the Philippines’ essential role in ensuring regional security and stability.

Critics, including Putin, may argue that the presence of US weapons in the Philippines raises regional tensions. However, it is critical to recognize every nation’s sovereign right to defend itself and form alliances that strengthen its security.

For the Philippines, aligning with the United States is a strategic decision based on decades of historical ties and common security interests dating back to the Spanish-American War in the early 1900s and World War 2 in the 1940s.

Putin’s proposal for a military reaction to US deployments should be interpreted as an attempt to divert attention away from the pressing issues at hand. Instead of addressing the Philippines’ real security concerns regarding China’s aggression, he portrays the US-Philippine relationship as a provocative gesture.

This narrative is not only false, but it also undermines the Philippines’ right to make autonomous national security decisions. At the heart of the issue is China’s continuous expansionism in the South China Sea.

China’s “nine-dash line” claim asserts authority over broad regions of the sea, encroaching on many Southeast Asian nations’ exclusive economic zones (EEZs), including the Philippines’. International law condemns this territorial grab, with the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling in favor of the Philippines’ claim. Despite this verdict, China continues to develop military sites and send its naval forces to contested areas.

The US-Philippine alliance is not an isolated cooperation; it is part of a larger network of security arrangements aimed at promoting peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. Along with the Philippines, countries such as Japan, South Korea and Australia are boosting defense links with the US to build a strong security architecture capable of withstanding the pressures of regional hegemonies.

These alliances are not intended to provoke confrontation, but rather to ensure that all nations, regardless of size, have the ability to protect their sovereignty and maintain regional order. The deployment of US missiles in the Philippines demonstrates the collective will to oppose coercive behavior and preserve a rules-based international system.

With his invasion of Ukraine having bogged down, Putin is trying to use smoke and mirrors to make himself relevant again on the international stage by trying to pick a brawl with the United States as it tries to provide a protective cocoon to countries like the Philippines against China.

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