Russia, Iran, Venezuela Continue To Forge Anti-US Alliance; Senate Approves Military Cuts

"We will supply Venezuela the weapons that Venezuela asks for. Why not tanks? Without question, we have good tanks. If our friends want our tanks, we will deliver them."

-- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev

Senate panel votes for military cuts sought by Obama

Russia Signals Opposition to New Sanctions Against Iran

The US and Russia have given differing responses to Iran's latest proposals on its nuclear programme.

Anyone else sense a growing problem here? Then again, our President wants to cozy up to the communists and radicals who run these three dangerous countries. Is he naive or crazy or does he really hate America as much as it seems?

Yahoo News:

BARVIKHA, Russia (Reuters) – Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez cemented a closer alliance with Russia on Thursday, recognizing two pro-Russian rebel regions of Georgia as independent and securing arms supplies and loans in return.

Chavez's move to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia is a rare diplomatic success for Russia, which has tried for over a year to persuade its allies to follow its lead and treat the two small regions as sovereign. Only Nicaragua had agreed so far.

"Venezuela from today is joining in the recognition of the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia," Chavez told President Dmitry Medvedev through a translator at the Russian leader's residence outside Moscow.

Caracas would start the process of establishing diplomatic relations with them soon, he added.

The rest of the world views the two regions, which threw off Georgian rule in the early 1990s and have run their own affairs since, as an integral part of Georgia. The issue has become a key sticking point in relations between the West and Russia.

President Dmitry Medvedev thanked Chavez, who is visiting Moscow, for his support. Shortly afterwards he said Russia would supply tanks and other weapons sought by Venezuela.

"We will supply Venezuela the weapons that Venezuela asks for," Medvedev said after their talks.

"Why not tanks? Without question, we have good tanks. If our friends want our tanks, we will deliver them."

No details were given of the arms deal but Russia's state RIA news agency quoted a military source as saying Venezuela would buy 100 tanks for $500 million. The two sides also announced plans for a joint bank with capital of $4 billion to finance their projects.

Venezuela wants to beef up its weaponry to resist what Chavez terms U.S. imperialism in Latin America. Tension has also been rising with neighboring Colombia, a close U.S. ally and historic rival of Venezuela.

Red-Letter Day: Russia Warns Enemies With Vintage, Soviet-Style Show of Military Might (Video)

A vintage, Soviet-style military parade has been held in Moscow to commemorate victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.




Breitbart reports:

Russia on Saturday sternly warned its foes not to dare attempt any aggression against the country, as it put on a Soviet-style show of military might in Red Square including nuclear capable missiles.

The display to mark the 64th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II came amid renewed tensions with Georgia after NATO's decision to hold war games in the Caucasus country infuriated Moscow.


"We are sure that any aggression against our citizens will be given a worthy reply," President Dmitry Medvedev said in a speech in Red Square side-by-side with powerful Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

"The victory over fascism is a great example and a great lesson for all peoples and is still current today when people are again starting military adventures," he added.

Russia's war with Georgia in August over Georgian breakaway regions sent Moscow-NATO ties to their worst level since the Cold War and tensions have flared again over the alliance's decision to go ahead with the exercises.

Moscow, which remains at loggerheads with Georgia's pro-Western President Mikheil Saakashvili, angrily condemned the war games that started this week as a provocation that risk stoking instability in the region.

"Protecting the motherland is our holy duty, it is a moral foundation for all generations," said Medvedev. "The future of Russia will be peaceful, happy and successful."

Here's a "warmer" side presented by Russia Today:

The war took the lives of at least 27 million Soviet people. To mark their sacrifice, memorial ceremonies and Victory Day celebrations are being held throughout Russia.

Back in the USSA: Russian President Medvedev Hails Barack Obama as "My New Comrade"

Wow! That was easy! Obama's cool charming personality it "totally different" than George Bush!

Translation: "Mother Russia likes it very much. We have new communist comrade in United States. 100 years of trying and now we finally have our guy."

Welcome to the United Socialist States of America, USSA.

"We are from Russia and we are here to help."

LONDON (AFP)

Russia's Dmitry Medvedev hailed Barack Obama as "my new comrade" Thursday after their first face-to-face talks, saying the US president "can listen" -- even if little progress was made on substance.

The Russian president contrasted Obama as "totally different" to his predecessor George W. Bush, whom he blamed for the "mistake" of US missile shield plans fiercely opposed by Moscow.

Obama agreed to visit Moscow in July after his talks with Medvedev on Wednesday on the sidelines of a G20 summit in London aimed at fixing the battered world economy.

"I believe that we managed to establish contact. But Moscow lies ahead. I cannot say that we made much progress on the most serious issues," he told reporters, adding: "Let's wait and see."

"I liked the talks. It is easy to talk to him. He can listen. The start of this relationship is good," he said, adding: "Today it's a totally different situation (compared to Bush)... This suits me quite well."

I'm sure it suits you "quite well", I bet it does comrade!

Russia Confirms Iran Missile Contract; Kremlin Signals a Harder Line on Relations With the U.S.

Obama has already surrendered to Russia over an Eastern Europe missile defense shield.

He allowed Russia to outbid the U.S. over a strategic airbase in Kyrgyzstan that the U.S. military had been using to fight terror in Afghanistan.

Hillary Clinton's "reset" blunder added to Team "O"'s amateurish administration.

The Associated Press reports:

Russian news agencies cited a top defense official Wednesday as confirming that a contract to sell powerful air-defense missiles to Iran was signed two years ago, but saying no such weapons have yet been delivered.

Russian officials have consistently denied claims the country already has provided some of the S-300 missiles to Iran. They have not said whether a contract existed.

The state-run ITAR-Tass and RIA-Novosti news agencies and the independent Interfax quoted an unnamed top official in the Federal Military-Technical Cooperation Service as saying the contract was signed two years ago. Service spokesman Andrei Tarabrin told The Associated Press he could not immediately comment.

The news comes a day after Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signaled a harder line in U.S.-Russian diplomacy.

MOSCOW -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev struck a Cold War tone on Tuesday, pledging to press ahead with an ambitious rearmament program in response to what he described as NATO's military expansion close to Russia's borders.

His hawkish comments come ahead of his first meeting with President Barack Obama early next month at the Group of 20 meeting, and were paired with even tougher rhetoric from Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov. Mr. Serdyukov accused the U.S. of trying to push Russia out of its traditional sphere of influence -- the former Soviet Union -- in order to secure raw materials and energy supplies.

Analysts said the comments were designed to send a signal to Mr. Obama that the Kremlin wouldn't be an easy negotiating partner.

"It's more a message to America: Don't take us for granted," said Nikolai Zlobin, a senior fellow at the World Security Institute, a Washington think tank. "Medvedev is trying to create leverage and certain spaces that he can give up later, calling it a compromise."

The U.S. reaction was muted. Obama administration spokesman Robert Gibbs said on Tuesday that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization "is a collective defense organization. I think to suggest that it poses an offensive military threat is simply wrong."

Mr. Gibbs said Mr. Obama "looks forward to meeting with President Medvedev in London at the beginning of the G-20 economic summit" in April.

The Obama administration has said it hopes for a qualitative improvement, or "reset," in U.S.-Russia relations, which have been severely strained in recent years. On the agenda: a key nuclear-arms control treaty, Iran's nuclear program, NATO enlargement, and a possible U.S. missile-defense shield in Eastern Europe.

Welcome to the United Socialist States Of America!

Russia Says No Deal On Obama Secret Plan; "Haggling" Over Iran's Nukes Not "Productive"

Yesterday we learned that President Obama surrendered to Russia via a secret letter sent to Russian President Medvedev. Obama said he would cancel plans to build a missile defense shield in Eastern Europe.

Obama is seeking Russia's cooperation with his tail-between-his-legs diplomatic charm offensive in Iran.

From Novosti, A Russion News Service;

MOSCOW, March 2 (RIA Novosti) - Washington has told Moscow that Russian help in resolving Iran's nuclear program would make its missile shield plans for Europe unnecessary, a Russian daily said on Monday, citing White House sources.

U.S. President Barack Obama made the proposal on Iran in a letter to his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, Kommersant said, referring to unidentified U.S. officials.

Well, it turns out, Medvedev says "no deal" to the proposal.

The Earth Times reports:

Russian President Dmitri Medvedev on Tuesday showed willingness to discuss the US-planned missile defence system opposed by Moscow, but without "haggling" linking it to Iran. Medvedev was commenting during a visit to Spain on an alleged offer by US President Barack Obama to halt the defence system if Iran could be convinced to give up nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

The New York Times earlier reported that Obama had sent a secret letter to Medvedev.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero in Madrid, Medvedev welcomed the "positive signals" coming from the Obama administration with which he hoped to reach "agreements."

"Haggling," however, was not "productive," Medvedev said.

If the Obama administration showed "common sense" in proposing a "common shield against all types of threats" and reconsidered its plans of a missile defence system which could target Russia, Moscow would be prepared to negotiate, Medvedev said.

I wonder when Team Obama will realize that Iran, Russia, Hamas et al are simply "toying" with this Administration.

*sigh*