President Rodrigo Duterte’s admiration for the Russian President Vladimir Putin is not a secret. He has professed his adoration of the Russian strongman several times.
And on Sat, Nov 19, he finally got to meet Putin in a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the ongoing Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders Meeting in Lima, Peru.
When they sat down to chat, Duterte tells Putin, “I have been looking [forward to] this moment to meet you, Mr. President, not only because you represent a great country but [because of your leadership] too.”
According to a report by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Duterte said, “We’ve been longing to be part also of — despite the distance — we have been longing to be part of Europe, especially in commerce and trade around the world.”
Despite the distance.
Aww. That’s how strong long-distance relationships are made.
Duterte also made sure he throws in some shade on America “and the others” for their “hypocrisy.” Why? Because Duterte knows his audience.
“They [the West] want to seem to start a war but are afraid to go to war. That is what’s wrong with America and the others. They are waging war in so many places: in Vietnam, Afghanistan and in Iraq,” he told Putin.
In return, Putin said of the Filipino leader, “Well, you have been able to do a lot in a short period of time in terms of developing all round partnership between our countries and with respect to promoting greater trust and confidence between us.”
According to the Inquirer report, “the media were allowed to cover the first 10 minutes” of the meeting, before they were escorted out of the secured hotel room where the two leaders met.
