In 1994 under the Budapest Memorandum, Russia swore to respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity in exchange for giving up its nuclear arms. Today President Rodrigo Duterte is inviting Russia to be the Philippines’ “protector.” What could be in store for Filipinos under such an arrangement? Duterte’s shifting of military alliance from the United States to Russia has political and foreign policy watchers pondering the outcomes. The 1994 Budapest Memo was signed by Russia, the US, and Britain when Ukraine renounced its nuclear weapons. Allowed to enter Intramuros were only American soldiers, to whom the Spaniards surrendered, white to white instead of to brown.

Source: Philippine Star January 12, 2017 17:13 UTC