Russia, Venezuela Sign Military Deal Worth $1 Billion, Form Oil Consortium

MOSCOW -- Russia continued its international muscle-flexing on Friday, strengthening its ties to Venezuela through a $1 billion military loan and a new oil consortium as it announced an upgrade of its own military focusing on nuclear deterrence and permanent combat readiness.

After a military exercise on Friday in the southern city of Orenburg, near the border with Kazakhstan, the Russian president, Dmitri A. Medvedev, declared that by 2020 Russia would construct new types of warships, including nuclear submarines carrying cruise missiles and an unspecified air and space defense system.

The moves point to continuing tension between Russia and the West after the five-day war in Georgia. Response in Washington was muted, as officials weighed whether the moves were merely a restatement of existing initiatives or should be interpreted as one early sign of a new, if slow-motion, arms race. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in an interview with Reuters: "The balance of power in terms of nuclear deterrence is not going to be affected by those measures."

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[whitz5]

"Someone forgot to tell American (Repugs) that Russia is older than the USA and that they have never been defeated. Sure not a has been country - where the USA is on its way to unless it wakes up.

-I wish people would at least stay awake and try to pay attention in history. Here is a list of some of your russian losses.

1. Russo-Japanese War (1904-05),
2. WW1
3. Afganistan
4. How did the first cold war come out?

[MagisterLudi]

I think that caveat is Russia has not been defeated fighting on their own land and protecting their own sovereignty. And there were exceptions even to that: Crimean War.

[Durango]

Why is this any of our business?

Why should we care? Venezuela is a sovereign nation. They have a right to do whatever they think is right.

As for Russia. Why do we care if they bankrupt their people on military spending they don't need and in all likelihood will never use.

Is that the sole privilege of the United States of America? To waste our national treasure on military toys that either don't work or can't be used. (ABM and Nukes)

Anyone noticing China and how they are poised to pass the USA as the worlds economic power?

Don't suppose the fact they spend little of their money on the military has anything to do with that do you?

[Blutus]

People have been saying America is doomed since 1776.

We're all doomed! Doomed I tell ya!

[AmandaBC]

"People have been saying America is doomed since 1776."

The Roman Empire lasted a lot longer than 232 years. It still fell.
But I don't suppose you know much --let alone care-- about history...

[MagisterLudi]

. Roman Empire lasted about 350 years-- Not a "lot longer than 232 years." Talking about a giant size 19 foot in the mouth....Consider middle school Ancient History refresher.

[Lib2daBone]

The entire world is uniting against George Bush and the U.S. ( Bush did say he was a "Uniter"..)Guess who is going to have to pay the consequences? Silly people in America.. they refuse to wake up until the rockets start falling in their backyard. oops..gotta go.. "Dancing With The Stars" is on...

[researcher]

love you humor

whoops got to go america's got talent is on

that was my favorite

universal law will take care of americans

ie total economic decline

the price of imperialism and wars for profits

[Revanchist]

So Venezuela is the new Cuba? And we're stretched and distracted elsewhere.

I want Obama and his team in charge so that world opinion and support is in our corner. McCain does not have the intellectual stamina nor the composure to lead us in the troubled times.

[Blutus]

You mean there's a lot of old Chevies in Venezuela too?

Who knew??

[Revanchist]

They love that Americana.
Actually I don't know...

[surfcitysteven]

You know, if you could detach yourself from all this world drama as an impartial outsider, you would have to look at America as the damn biggest idiot on this earth. All this potential, all this goodwill, all this wealth, all these potential friendships all this power,...squandered. Not just squandered but taken aim at and blown to smithereens. For what? A right wing ideology that still believes we can push others around like a schoolyard bully without repercussions. When I was in first grade all us little kids decided we'd had enough of the bully and we ganged up on him and very nearly sent him to the hospital. We gang kicked him and then threw him on the merry-go-round and spun him till he puked. But there is not going to be a teacher running to save us when it happens to America.

[elcojonu]

They have timed their resurgence to a tee.
We're about to assume a one trillion debt that will raise the national debt to 11 trillion while their national debt is insignificant compared to ours, plus their Oil and Gas Reserves gives them at least a 20 year cushion of wealth .
Venezuela and now Brazil will be longtime players in the global energy game with Bolivia(Gas) and Ecuador(OIL) in the mix as well.
As history has shown over and over again, you can't be a Superpower if you're broke and in heavy debt.
When the U.S.S.R. went out of business, they just decided to play the capitalist game and see how far they could go with it; they've done pretty well at it with Putin stearing the ship; maybe that's why he's so popular over there.

[Blutus]

Yeah, as long as those pesky journalists keeping getting thrown from windows or shot.

Just maybe the Russian people don't have a clue as to what is really going on.

[elcojonu]

That's the way the game is played.
You think we don't operate the same ?
Where you've been ?
Look at Wall Street .
The world is a ghetto fella.

[MagisterLudi]

Obviously, Russia has not reached superpower status, yet. Consequently they're creating alliances to counter NATO power. Shanghai Alliance is precisely that. Russia is developing their strategic bargain power by entering Western Hemisphere. Russia is trying to counterbalance NATO encroachment with countering the Monroe Doctrine. It's a high stakes strategic game.

[Graywolf48]

Throughout our history, we have always treated Latin America, Central America and Mexico as our read-headed step children. We think nothing of constantly meddling in their internal affairs, fomenting revolution, invading their lands and doing whatever is necessary to assure they conform to our desires. If U.S. fruit producers want cheap land and labor, so be it. Either by overt or covert action, we manipulate their people and governments without conscience. How many South and Central American "dictators" have we overthrown or installed in the past 100 years? We have not been very good neighbors. Of course to point this out will be met with howls of denial and questions about my loyalty to U.S. ideals. But the facts and history are there for any objective researcher.

So Chavez, threatened and belittled by Bush and perhaps a little intimidated by the "Bush Doctrine" knowing that said doctrine's enforcement might be aggravated by Venezuela"s oil, is doing what he thinks is best for himself and his country. We have had ample time and opportunity to build strong and mutually beneficial alliances in our backyard. But we insist on being the neighborhood bully. Now some of the neighbors have had enough, and who can blame them?

[TreesPlease]

You mean 'our chickens are coming home to roost'........ Where have I heard that before?

[OutsiderSA]

Someone forgot to tell American (Repugs) that Russia is older than the USA and that they have never been defeated. Sure not a has been country - where the USA is on its way to unless it wakes up.

O-B-08

[Blutus]

Yeah, never mind that whole "Soviet Union" interlude.

And how is the USA "on the way?"

Are they coming by the Pacific or over the pole?

Will it be the attack without mercy??

Will they have to pay their troops in vodka??

[DualCitizenNLUSA]

USA is self destructing because its full of imbeciles who can't learn and won't learn....can't compete in modern world believeing in Buybull fairytales...in a word....they are idiots.

[OutsiderSA]

AzRealProgressive Said:

Obama said tonight in the debates that Venezuela is a rogue country.

________________________________

Folk like you see even Canada and Mexico as rogue - get a life

O-B-08

[akkadian]

the usa is to georgia as russia is to venezuela
end of story

[DualCitizenNLUSA]

Excellent !!!! of course don't expect American hypocrites to understand that.

[DualCitizenNLUSA]

Actually as far as the rest of the modern world is concerned the USA is the rogue nation trying to bully eveyrone into accepting their crap culture and system.

[dadw5boys]

All these years the USA had the chance to make Venezuela our friend .

Instead the USA choose to support businesses that would rape the resources of Venezuela and keep the people there poor and uneducated.

Well that has back fired now !

Whats next ?

Replacing their Government?

Good luck because all of South America is tired of being treated like crap by the USA.

[AzRealProgressive]

Obama said tonight in the debates that Venezuela is a rogue country.

[DualCitizenNLUSA]

Obama and Mc Cain are both idiots like most of America. thats why whoever wins will be Captain of the Titanic.

[guajiro]

Too bad for you Obama believes in the rule of law and as such will use trade embargos, if he deems necessary, to align Venezuela with the U.S.. With Russia supplying Venezuela with fighter aircraft and other military weapons, the U.S. can't afford to have another "Cuba" at our doorstep, not now while the U.S. is in a weak position financially and militarily. Of course, petulant and capricious attitudes, as displayed by your postings, would seek to hide the truth our nation needs, as a self-prescribed solution to your own lack of self worth.

[elcojonu]

I think that was BS to attract center-right folks, I don't see Barack attacking anyboby, specially with the economy he'll inherit, and specially in Latin America; there's an election in 2012 you know and by that time the Hispanic Vote will be even more important than now.

[peterg76]

Correct, Venezuela is an actual democracy.

[Blutus]

So what.

Is Venezuela going to invade us too?

You people take the cake.

[Cautious]

Blutus:

Have you considered the larger picture- or even the smaller one? The picture accompanying this piece is of Chavez holding a model of a proposed strategic bomber.

Russian has already designed a Generation-5 stealth fighter. They just don't have the money to build it. Even so, the Russians are giving $1 billion in military aid to Venezuela. Do you think Hugo would like to have some of those fighters?

Early in the Kennedy administration, there was a little problem with Cuba. No, Cuba was not going to invade us. But they did provide a base for Russian intermediate nukes. It's entirely concievable that Russia would sell or give Venezuela some nuclear weapons. That's not a pleasant thought.

Do you have any grasp of world history? No, Venezuela would not be able to invade us. But they sure as hell could cause a lot of damage. The missiles that were in question during the Cuban Missile Crisis could reach Washington DC. And this is forty years later. Please get a clue.

[elcojonu]

Look at the anser this guy gave to the posting above.
He's clearly an Ignoramus.
Ignore this guy !

[mnkors]

The US has entered the era of National-Socialism, with the Dear Leader leading all the way to rob the next generation, by socializing losses of the liberally deregulated financial sector.
Senator Pence (GOP) made it clear today that whatever financial problems pester the USA, a solution is to ease taxes on the corporations and to call this a "help to Main Street." He is such a good student of Bush!

[AzRealProgressive]

You are right that liberals deregulated the financial sector. Fannie/Freddie pushed lenders to make mortgages they knew people could not pay.

[guajiro]

Whatever happened to that Republican mantra you all love to blather about, the one you use to justify your attempts to eliminate social security, welfare, medicare, etc ?. You know, " individual responsibility"? The Republican wet dream of a totally DE-REGULATED country would be real were it not for the Democrats reasoned approach to a free market but with regulations to curb what we know to be the all too common human corruption happenstance. Does not Jesus Christ himself say we are all born with original sin? I say to you right now, THERE IS NO LAW IN FANNIE MAE'S OR FREDDY MAC'S BOOKS OR RULES that say any lender should practice illegal behavior in approving certain loans. Those lenders need to take INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY for the bad loans they made. Don't come crying to the Dem doorstep trying to lay blame on "the gummint".

[Blutus]

Yeah, that Raygun guy. What a liberal.

That Arizona education, yeah, right there with Mississippi. Yeah............