US military drills in Philippines unaffected by America’s focus on Ukraine and Gaza, US general says

By JIM GOMEZ
Associated Press

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A U.S. general says combat exercises between the United States and the Philippines that involve thousands of forces each year will not be affected by America’s focus on the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. Maj. Gen. Marcus Evans, commanding general of the U.S. Army’s 25th Infantry Division, told The Associated Press in an interview late Thursday that conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East are actually providing lessons for American and Filipinos to train on. The Biden administration has been strengthening an arc of military alliances in the Indo-Pacific region to better counter China, but there have been concerns that the war in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas conflict could hamper America’s pivot to Asia and divert military resources intended for the region.