Russia Flexes It’s Muscles In US Backyard
Russia flexed its muscles in America’s backyard yesterday as it sent one of its largest warships to join military exercises in the Caribbean. The nuclear-powered flagship Peter the Great set off for Venezuela with the submarine destroyer Admiral Chabanenko and two support vessels in the first Russian naval mission in Latin America since the end of the Cold War.
“The St Andrew flag, the flag of the Russian Navy, is confidently returning to the world oceans,” Igor Dygalo, a spokesman for the Russian Navy, said. He declined to comment on Russian newspaper reports that nuclear submarines were also part of the expedition.
The voyage to join the Venezuelan Navy for manoeuvres came only days after Russian strategic nuclear bombers made their first visit to the country. Hugo Chávez, the President, said then that the arrival of the strike force was a warning to the US. The vehemently antiAmerican Venezuelan leader is due to visit Dmitri Medvedev, the Russian President, in Moscow this week as part of a tour that includes visits to Cuba and China.
Peter the Great is armed with 20 nuclear cruise missiles and up to 500 surface-to-air missiles, making it one of the most formidable warships in the world. The Kremlin has courted Venezuela and Cuba as tensions with the West soared over the proposed US missile shield in Eastern Europe and the Russian invasion of Georgia last month. Vladimir Putin, the Prime Minister, said recently that Russia should “restore its position in Cuba” – the nation where deployment of Soviet nuclear missiles in 1962 brought Russia and the United States to the brink of nuclear war.
Syria’s Bid For Missiles Stirs Alarm In Israel
Fears that Russia might sell advanced weaponry to Syria have raised concern in Israel.
Syrian President Bashar Assad, in Russia for talks with President Dmitry Medvedev, has been openly campaigning to acquire weapon systems that include long-range surface-to-surface missiles.
Russian media reports of Mr Assad’s ambitions prompted hand-wringing by Israeli officials on Thursday. Defence Minister Ehud Barak said Israel was analysing the ramifications of Mr Assad’s two-day visit.
The Haaretz newspaper, citing Russian media, said Mr Assad offered to host Iskander missiles, surface-to-surface missiles with a reported maximum range of 270 kilometres, as a response to a deal signed by Washington and Poland this week to deploy elements of a US missile defence system in Poland.
Silvan Shalom, a member of the Knesset, or parliament, said Israel should demand that Moscow refrain from “arming its enemies” because it could destabilise the Middle East.
The deal, however, is far from done. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow would consider Syrian requests for arms but added: “We are indeed prepared to sell only defensive weapons which do not violate the regional balance of power.”
