The Philippine military on Tuesday remained optimistic about its relationship with the United States amid reports that United States President Donald Trump decided to suspend its assistance to war-torn Ukraine.
“That is a policy matter between the United States and another country,” Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS) Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said in a press briefing.
“Insofar as the Philippines is concerned, our people-to-people relationship, our military-to-military, social-cultural exchanges, and broad other activities, a range of other activities between the US and the Philippines, are very strong and intact,” he added.
Western media and news wire outlets said a White House official stated on Monday that President Trump has suspended all military aid to Ukraine following his recent disagreement with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“The President has been clear that he is focused on peace. We need our partners to be committed to that goal as well,” the White House official said, according to an Agence France Presse (AFP) report.
Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez recently announced that the Trump administration has excluded $336 million allocated for the modernization of Philippine security forces from its foreign aid freeze.
Romualdez explained that this amount is part of the $500 million in foreign military financing approved by the US Congress last year during the Biden administration.
The assistance from Washington is vital to Manila’s efforts to modernize its armed forces and enhance its maritime capabilities amid rising tensions with an increasingly assertive China, which has consistently harassed and threatened Philippine vessels and aircraft in the WPS.
