Duterte complains about West’s bullying in meeting with Putin

President Rodrigo Duterte complained about the Western countries' bullying during his meeting with "idol" Russian President Vladimir Putin before the APEC Leaders' Meeting in Lima, Peru on Saturday morning (Sunday PHL time).

"Of late, I see a lot of these Western nations bullying small nations. And not only that they are into so much hypocrisy," Duterte told Putin during their meeting.

He added: "And they want to... They seem to start a war but are afraid to go to war. That is what's wrong with America and the others. They were waging war in so many places in Vietnam, in Afghanistan and in Iraq. And for one single reason that there was a weapon of mass destruction and there was none."

Duterte went on complaining about the Western nations' forcing of "my country to contribute military forces."

"They also got soldiers, Filipino soldiers in both Iraq and Vietnam and nothing happened, they lost. Then they went to an expedition in Iraq on an excuse of weapons of mass destruction and there was none," he said.

He narrated to Putin about one soldier and a Filipino worker captured in the Middle East.

"...they threatened to behead the Filipino unless we go out of war --- in the war against the Middle East at that time," Duterte said, adding that the Philippines was forced to withdraw from the war.

"From that time on, the Americans made it hard for us and even in the times with IMF. So there are the things that I see which is not a good idea," he said.

Part of Europe

Duterte also told Putin during the meeting that the Philippines has been "longing to be part of Europe especially in commerce and trade around the world."

"But there was one thing that really stood before us and that was the result of Cold War. And historically, I have been identified with the Western world," he said.

Duterte made the statement amid a recent tirade against the European Union due to criticisms on his war on drugs.

Rekindling PHL-Russia ties

Putin expressed to Duterte that he is willing to rekindle Russia's diplomatic ties with the Philippines.

"Mr. President, this year marks 40th anniversary since diplomatic ties between our countries established back in time. Historically, it's quite a short period of time," the Russian leader said.

He said that in the short period of Duterte's leadership, the Philippine leader was able to "do a lot" to develop "all around parternership between our countries and with respect to promoting greater trust and confidence between us."

During the meeting, Duterte told Putin that he was his idol.

It was the first meeting between the two leaders.

Before meeting Putin, Duterte met again with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Duterte visited China last October. —report from Joseph Morong/ALG, GMA News