Just weeks before he steps down as Russia's president, Vladimir Putin has delivered a defiant warning to the West - Russia intends to win the arms race launched by George w. Bush. From The Independent:
"It's clear that a new arms race is unfolding in the world," said Mr Putin, one that Russia did not start. And he vowed that Russia would respond to the threats by developing newer and more modern weapons that were as good as if not better than those possessed by Western countries. "We are being forced into retaliating ... Russia has and always will have the answers to these challenges," he said.
Russian bomber patrols have recently been made over the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans and approached close to the borders of Nato airspace. Two Russian Tupolev-95 aircraft strayed south from their routine patrol pattern off the Norwegian coast and headed towards Scotland last September.
In the most recent incident, two long-range "Blackjack" bombers flew to the Bay of Biscay off France and Spain to test-launch missiles. The Russians have also hinted they want to re-establish a naval presence in the Mediterranean, probably using Syrian ports. The strategy is designed to heighten the visibility of Russia's military might but the sabre-rattling has alarmed Western countries and fuelled talk of a new Cold War.
Mr Putin went into overdrive yesterday, painting Russia as the victim of Western aggression and expansion, and promised a Russian response. He said Western countries spent far more on defence than Russia, and also returned to a theme he has raised many times before – that of Nato enlargement towards Russian borders. "We pulled out of bases in Cuba and Vietnam," he said. "And what did we get? New American bases in Bulgaria and Romania."
Symbolically ominous changes are under way too: Russia recently announced that vast parades in Red Square to showcase the nation's military strength are to be revived this year for the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Mr Putin also accused unnamed foreign countries of cynically trying to gain unfair access to Russia's natural resources. "Many conflicts, foreign policy acts and diplomatic démarches smell of oil and gas," he said. "This is the context in which we understand the growing interest towards Russia." He said the sovereignty of certain countries had been completely destroyed under slogans of freedom and democracy."
Russia isn't the only country that has been furiously rearming since George w. Bush came to power in 2000. China is developing a large and modern air force and will soon field a true, blue water navy. India is also pursuing large scale naval expansion.
NATO expansion, the hyper-aggressive Bush Doctrine and US Space Doctrine, America's programme to deploy a new generation of nuclear weapons including "first strike" warheads were bound to trigger this sort of response, particularly among the emerging economic superpowers. There have even been rumours recently that China may be negotiating to establish a major naval base in Iran.
"It's clear that a new arms race is unfolding in the world," said Mr Putin, one that Russia did not start. And he vowed that Russia would respond to the threats by developing newer and more modern weapons that were as good as if not better than those possessed by Western countries. "We are being forced into retaliating ... Russia has and always will have the answers to these challenges," he said.
Russian bomber patrols have recently been made over the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans and approached close to the borders of Nato airspace. Two Russian Tupolev-95 aircraft strayed south from their routine patrol pattern off the Norwegian coast and headed towards Scotland last September.
In the most recent incident, two long-range "Blackjack" bombers flew to the Bay of Biscay off France and Spain to test-launch missiles. The Russians have also hinted they want to re-establish a naval presence in the Mediterranean, probably using Syrian ports. The strategy is designed to heighten the visibility of Russia's military might but the sabre-rattling has alarmed Western countries and fuelled talk of a new Cold War.
Mr Putin went into overdrive yesterday, painting Russia as the victim of Western aggression and expansion, and promised a Russian response. He said Western countries spent far more on defence than Russia, and also returned to a theme he has raised many times before – that of Nato enlargement towards Russian borders. "We pulled out of bases in Cuba and Vietnam," he said. "And what did we get? New American bases in Bulgaria and Romania."
Symbolically ominous changes are under way too: Russia recently announced that vast parades in Red Square to showcase the nation's military strength are to be revived this year for the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Mr Putin also accused unnamed foreign countries of cynically trying to gain unfair access to Russia's natural resources. "Many conflicts, foreign policy acts and diplomatic démarches smell of oil and gas," he said. "This is the context in which we understand the growing interest towards Russia." He said the sovereignty of certain countries had been completely destroyed under slogans of freedom and democracy."
Russia isn't the only country that has been furiously rearming since George w. Bush came to power in 2000. China is developing a large and modern air force and will soon field a true, blue water navy. India is also pursuing large scale naval expansion.
NATO expansion, the hyper-aggressive Bush Doctrine and US Space Doctrine, America's programme to deploy a new generation of nuclear weapons including "first strike" warheads were bound to trigger this sort of response, particularly among the emerging economic superpowers. There have even been rumours recently that China may be negotiating to establish a major naval base in Iran.
1 comment:
Too bad America turned its back on Dennis Kucinich and his wacky suggestion about having a "Department of Peace" instead of the laughably named "Department of Defense". When you look at the ramifications of US military spending and the war-mongering of Bush and Co. it doesn't really seem like such a silly idea. Maybe that $440 billion/year could be better spent elsewhere.
Post a Comment