Posted on 05/11/2006 2:43:11 PM PDT by neverdem
MOSCOW -- President Vladimir Putin warned yesterday that the U.S.-Russian arms race is not over and called for a strengthening of his nation's nuclear and conventional forces so Moscow can better resist foreign pressure.
The remarks, in his seventh state of the nation address since taking power in 2000, follow increasingly sharp criticism of Russia's democratic and foreign policy directions from the United States, including a harsh rebuke by Vice President Dick Cheney last week in Lithuania.
"It is premature to speak of the end of the arms race," said Mr. Putin, who pointed out in the nationally televised address that U.S. defense spending is 25 times higher than Russia's and said his country needs to catch up.
"Their house is their fortress? Well done," he said. "But it means that we must build our house strongly, reliably, because we see what is going on in the world.
"We must always be ready to counter any attempts to pressure Russia in order to strengthen positions at our expense," he continued. "The stronger our military is, the less temptation there will be to exert such pressure on us."
Mr. Putin said Russia's military would work to strengthen both its nuclear deterrent and its conventional forces but without repeating "the mistakes of the Soviet Union and of the Cold War" by draining the country's resources.
Many analysts attribute the collapse of communism in Russia to the Kremlin's inability to keep up with U.S. arms spending during the Reagan administration, particularly its space-based anti-missile initiative known familiarly as "Star Wars."
Skyrocketing world energy prices have provided oil-rich Russia with windfall surpluses that could be used to fund at least a modest defense buildup. Russian revenues totaled $41.8 billion compared with expenditures of $25.5 billion in the...
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
"I HIGHLY doubt that the recent arms buildup is directed at Russia' allies to the southeast (China). Rather, it is directed at the United States."
Agreed. Of course, Putin's tactics have completely changed since the Cold War. He will not start to create massive tank armies to try to frighten Europe.
However, in some ways the Russians have gotten more clever. They have insulated themselves better from the cause of terrorism---which in the 20th century they were the obvious cause of for anybody with eyes to see. Now, they have positioned themselves as a country who is "against" terrorism, but happens to oppose every constructive initiative that could be carried out---while providing Iran---the primary sponsors of terrorism in the world--- with nuclear reactors and ICBM's.
Meanwhile, they are selling weapons to about a third of the countries in the world, and building diplomatic credibility everywhere.
It is, in fact, a pretty good strategy.
Also, the Chinese in Sibera are there with the concent of the Russian government. Russia keeps a very tight control on immigration, and the Chinese keep a lid on their northern border. basically, to leave China for Russia, a worker needs the approval of the Chinese and Russian governments.
Therefore, there is much more border control in Russia than there is here in America.
Now why does Russia need this???
"Military experts said helicopter's effectiveness was four to five times higher than of any existing helicopters of its type. "
Not this crap again - reminds me of Duranty's Pulitzer articles that bragged about nonexistent 4' diameter cabbages being grown in the "worker's paradise".
A Stinger missle or other sutible MANPAD would bring that chopper down.
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Game,set, match dude.
Putin is probably saying this so that we will pay them not to do this.
What else are we giving them foreign aid for?
i wish i could believe it was (is) being done for positive purposes. the money that they would have used to contain has gone to r&d. at the loss of their containment budget of course
Now it is just a guess, but I'd say Putin is more frightened of Beijing than he is of Washington.
The russkies are committing demographic suicide. In a generation, there will be no more Russia, but rather, Russhistan. The only people breeding in Russia are Muslims.
Putin is doing what he can to slow the take over until after his time. That includes some qualitative improvements in weapons, as well as sucking up to Islamic nations, so long as they do not target him.
‚Ò‚ñ‚‡
ping
Don't take it personally though, the tactic is to point to a dragon. Any dragon, but the more potentially dangerous the better. The US, because of its relative power, does makes for a great dragon.
Dragon... bear, wolf, Bush, America, Jews... The pattern is the same.
It is important to always point out that the difference that validates the consolidation of power is if the threat is real, and if the government is willing to give up the power it gains during a crisis. In the case of tin pot third world dictators, their accusations directed at any dragon are dishonest grabs at power. Nothing more, nothing less.
George Washington was a big fan of Cincinnatus, the twice appointed dictator of Rome who gave it up in order to return to his farm... twice.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cincinnatus
http://www.dl.ket.org/latin1/historia/people/cincinnatus01.htm
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