If Russian President Vladimir Putin decides to deploy nuclear weapons in the Ukraine conflict, President Rodrigo Duterte has warned of a Chinese “invasion.”
Duterte made the remarks amid Russia’s and Ukraine’s continuing armed war, which began on February 23.
“Kung talagang maipit si Putin at pindutin iyong pulang button, wala na. Then my thinking is…pag mag ganun ‘yan…China will invade…sa intelligence briefing, tatamaan talaga tayo,” During a Malacanang event in which numerous bills were signed into law, Duterte said.
(If Putin really gets stuck and hits your red button, nothing more. Then my thinking is … if that happens … China will invade … in the intelligence briefing, we will really be hit.)
“That was my reason why them [Americans] are unrestricted [here]. Pipilitin ng mga Amerikano eh. Talagang brusko ang mga Amerikano,” Duterte added.
After that, Duterte stated that a nuclear attack could be first undetectable.
“Hindi lang natin makita iyong nuclear, iyong long range bombers… baka napindot na kanina [ang button] rito sa South China Sea. It will reach our jurisdiction in seven minutes. Iyong hypersonic ano nila…so kasali tayo diyan. Let us not kid each other,” Duterte said.
Duterte: China invasion possible if Putin starts nuclear war
“Kaya andito ang Amerika, that is the reason I gave the order to the military to allow them unrestricted [movement] para matapos…wag lang sana [na] iyong China [would resort to invasion],” Duterte added.
(So America is here, that is the reason I gave the order to the military to allow them unrestricted [movement] to end … just don’t hope [that] China [would resort to invasion].)
When Duterte met Russian President Vladimir Putin in May 2017, the Russian leader promised him that he would speak with China about Beijing’s militarization and aggression in the South China Sea, including a portion of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
Putin’s initiative, according to Duterte, failed.
“Tatlo lang kami: [Senator] Bong Go, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, ako. Sinabi talaga ni Putin, we will try to help you, we will talk to China. But China never listened to the advice of anybody. Tatamaan talaga tayo, sigurado. But I will not send my soldiers upon the request of anybody to join the cause against Russia,” Duterte added.
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