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By Manuel Mogato
MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines is at risk of breaching sanctions imposed by the United States if it proceeds with the purchase of grenade launches from a blacklisted Russian firm, a deal that could test its longtime security alliance with Washington.
A senior Philippine general familiar with the deal said Manila had agreed in October last year to a 400 million peso (£ 5.7 million) purchase of 750 RPG -7B rocket propelled grenade launchers from Russia's state-owned Rosoboronexport, but the transfer had yet to be completed.
US
The law is designed to punish Russia for its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, its support for Syria's government and alleged meddling in the 2016 US presidential election.
Russia has donated assault rifles and trucks to the Philippines but the grenade launchers would have to Manila's first purchase of Russian weapons. The Philippines has long been reliant on the United States as its main source of military hardware and support.
If it goes ahead, the deal could add to a 70-year-old security alliance that Washington has described as "ironclad" , despite Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's disdain for the relationship with the colonial power.
Duterte wants more ties with China and the United States. Some US legislators campaigned to block sales of 26,000 assault rifles to the Philippines in May 2017 because of the rights of an anti-narcotics campaign that has killed thousands of Filipinos.
Duterte scrapped that deal, more than $ 233
The US Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
The US Department of Foreign Affairs said it would result in penalties ". Rosoboronexport was blacklisted in April
American allies who buy weapons and equipment from Russia, the world's second-largest arms exporter, would also be penalized and could see the transfer of those arms.
The State Department official declined to say what specific sanctions the US could impose on the Philippines if it goes ahead with the deal with Rosoboronexport, while a spokesperson for the Treasury Department said it "does not telegraph sanctions or how forward prospective actions."
A senior Philippines defense official , who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media, told Reuters the United States has not officially notified Manila about the restrictions on Rosoboronexport.
"It's still a go, we are informed," he added.
The army general familiar with the deal declined to be able to sanctions.
Jose Antonio Custodio, a Philippine security expert, warned the Russian arms Manila's relationship with allies, not only with its former colonial master of the United States, but also with Japan and Australia.
"If the Duterte Administration keeps on elevating the military-to-military relationship with Russia, it may These are all international sanctions for bad behavior, "he said.
(Editing by Martin Petty and Raju Gopalakrishnan)
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