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Russia engages in 'gangland' diplomacy as it sends warship to the Caribb...
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.
this cannot be good... Russia flexed its muscles in America’s backyard yesterday as it sent one of its largest warships to join military exercises in the Car... more -
Russian navy ships head to maneuvers in Venezuela
MOSCOW - A Russian navy squadron set off for Venezuela Monday, an official said, in a deployment of Russian military power to the Western Hemisphere unprecedented since the Cold War.
The Kremlin recently has moved to intensify contacts with Venezuela, Cuba and other Latin American nations amid increasingly strained relations with Washington after last month's war between Russia and Georgia. During the Cold War, Latin America became an ideological battleground between the Soviet Union and the United States.
Russian navy spokesman Igor Dygalo said the nuclear-powered Peter the Great cruiser accompanied by three other ships sailed from the Northern Fleet's base of Severomorsk on Monday. The ships will cover about 15,000 nautical miles to conduct joint maneuvers with the Venezuelan navy, he told The Associated Press.
The deployment follows a weeklong visit to Venezuela by a pair of Russian strategic bombers and comes as Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez — an unbridled critic of U.S. foreign policy who has close ties with Moscow — plans to visit Moscow this week. It will be Chavez's second trip to Russia in about two months. MOSCOW - A Russian navy squadron set off for Venezuela Monday, an official said, in a deployment of Russian military power to the West... more -
Russian navy sails to Venezuela
Russian warships have set off for Venezuela for joint exercises unprecedented since the Cold War. The fleet of ships, headed by the nuclear-powered Peter the Great cruiser, set off from its base at Severomorsk in the Arctic.
The ships are due to take part in joint manoeuvres with Venezuela in November. The move is seen as a rebuff to the United States, which is facing increasingly fraught relationships with the two nations. Russian Navy spokesman Igor Dygalo said the ships set sail at 1000 local time (0600 GMT), and would travel 15,000 nautical miles to reach their destination. "It's the nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser Peter the Great, the anti-submarine warship Admiral Chebanenko and other accompanying ships," he told the AFP news agency. Two Russian bombers arrived in Venezuela last week for training flights.
Moscow has intensified ties with Venezuela and other Latin American countries recently as its relationship with Washington has become strained. Caracas and Moscow have signed arms contracts, and are looking to extend bilateral co-operation on energy. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin, in Caracas last week, said five Russian oil firms were looking to begin operations in Venezuela.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who will visit Moscow this week, said on Sunday that Latin America needed a strong friendship with Russia to help reduce Washington's influence in the region. A staunch critic of the US, he backed Russian intervention in Georgia last month and has accused Washington of being scared of Moscow's "new world potential".
Mr Sechin also warned the US not to view Latin America as its own backyard. "It would be wrong to talk about one nation having exclusive rights to this zone," he told the Associated Press. During the Cold War, Latin America became an ideological battleground between the US and the then USSR. Russian warships have set off for Venezuela for joint exercises unprecedented since the Cold War. The fleet of ships, headed by the n... more -
Russia, U.S. in verbal joust over Georgia - Russia- msnbc.com
In rift over Georgia, Moscow says 'these guys' comment was uncalled for
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Russia warns of new Iron Curtain
President Dmitri Medvedev has accused the West of trying to push Russia behind a new "Iron Curtain".
"This is not our path. For us there is no sense going back to the past," the Russian leader said in Moscow.
He also blamed Nato for provoking last month's fighting between Russia and Georgia over South Ossetia.
His comments come a day after US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Russia was becoming increasingly aggressive abroad.
In a strongly-worded speech, Ms Rice said Moscow was on a "one-way path to isolation and irrelevance".
Diplomatic relations between the US and its European allies, on one side, and Russia on the other, have been strained by the Georgian conflict.
Lambasting Nato
"We are in effect being pushed down a path that is founded not on fully-fledged, civilised partnership with other countries, but on autonomous development, behind thick walls, behind an Iron Curtain," President Medvedev said.
He said that Moscow would not allow this to happen, adding that he did not want disputes with the West.
Mr Medvedev also said that Nato's role in the Georgian conflict proved that the military bloc was unable to provide security in Europe.
"What has Nato done, what has it guaranteed? It only provoked the conflict. That's all," he said.
The fighting began on 7 August when Georgia tried to retake its breakaway region of South Ossetia by force after a series of lower-level clashes.
Russia launched a counter-attack and the Georgian troops were ejected from both South Ossetia and Abkhazia - another Georgia's rebel region - several days later.
The Kremlin later recognised Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states. So far, Nicaragua is the only other country to have done so. President Dmitri Medvedev has accused the West of trying to push Russia behind a new "Iron Curtain". ... more -
FK Moscow 1-2 FC Copenhagen (UEFA Cup) 18.09.2008 Highlights
VIDEO: FK Moscow 1-2 FC Copenhagen (UEFA Cup) 18.09.2008 Highlights at goal.18d.org FK Moscow 1-2 FC Copenhagen (UEFA Cup) 45' 0-1 Morten Nordstrand [FC Copenhagen] PEN. 90' 1-1 Aleksandr Samedov [FC Moscow] 90' 1-2 Libor Sionko [FC Copenhagen] VIDEO: FK Moscow 1-2 FC Copenhagen (UEFA Cup) 18.09.2008 Highlights at goal.18d.org FK Moscow 1-2 FC Copenhagen (UEFA Cup) 45' 0-... more
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Russia to help Cuba build space center - World news- msnbc.com
MOSCOW - Moscow is ready to help Cuba develop its own space center, Russia's space agency chief said on Wednesday after talks in Caracas with Venezuelan and Cuban officials, Itar-Tass news agency reported MOSCOW - Moscow is ready to help Cuba develop its own space center, Russia's space agency chief said on Wednesday after talks in ... more
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The Ukraine is weak
Political instability has returned to Ukraine. Disagreements over how to respond to the Russian invasion of Georgia have prompted President Viktor Yushchenko to pull his party out of the government, leaving Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko scrambling to form a new coalition. Political instability has returned to Ukraine. Disagreements over how to respond to the Russian invasion of Georgia have prompted Pres... more
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Kim Jong dead or sick
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il is very ill or dead. If Kim is not longer the effective leader of the isolated and nuclear-capable Marxist state there are profound implications.
north korea, kim jong-il, dead, pyongyang, rumours concubines, terrorism, washington, united states, kim il-sung, nuclear moscow, soviet union, war, negotiations, economic, diabetes, parade, military,Jonathan Manthorpe, international affairs, Vancouver, Vancouver Sun. North Korean leader Kim Jong-il is very ill or dead. If Kim is not longer the effective leader of the isolated and nuclear-capable Mar... more -
Medvedev: Russia must 'be reckoned with'
MOSCOW - President Dmitry Medvedev said Saturday the war with Georgia has shown the world that "Russia is a nation to be reckoned with" — his most aggressive comments to date on the conflict with Russia's southern neighbor.
Medvedev said the fighting in August was forced upon Russia and insisted that Russia had to act to save lives. He spoke at the opening of State Council, a high-level government body made up of governors and others.
"Russia will never allow anyone to infringe upon the lives and dignity of its citizens. Russia is a nation to be reckoned with from now on," Medvedev said.
"We have reached a moment of truth. It became a different world after Aug. 8. Let's call things as they should be called — because of this aggression, a real war took place, which took the lives of Russians, Ossetians and Georgians," he said.
The conflict over South Ossetia showcased Russia's resurgent military and economic clout and has presented the strongest challenge to the West since the end of the Cold War.
Russia considered many people in South Ossetia its citizens because it gave them passports even though the separatist territory was in Georgia.
Medvedev also criticized the United States and other Western nations, though not by name, for challenging Russia's intervention in Georgia, which started after Georgian forces attacked South Ossetia's main city on Aug. 7.
"Millions of people supported us, but we've heard no words of support and understanding from those who in the same circumstances pontificate about free elections and national dignity and the need to use force to punish an aggressor," Medvedev said. MOSCOW - President Dmitry Medvedev said Saturday the war with Georgia has shown the world that "Russia is a nation to be reckoned... more -
Georgia will be in our Nato alliance, Cheney warns Moscow
Dick Cheney delivered a bellicose warning to Russia yesterday during a brief visit to war-torn Georgia, promising that America's small Caucasus ally would one day join the Nato alliance .
In combative mood, the US Vice-President stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Mikhail Saakashvili, the Georgian President, and bluntly reinforced Russia's worst fears — that Washington would not stop pushing for Georgian membership in Nato. He also attacked Moscow for trying to redraw the country's borders by force. “Georgia will be in our alliance,” he said, in defiance of the Kremlin, which has blamed the military alliance's expansion into Russia's traditional sphere of influence as one of the triggers for last month's five-day war in Georgia.
“Russia's actions have cast grave doubts on Russia's intentions and on its reliability as an international partner,” Mr Cheney said, a day after the US pledged $1billion (£564million) to help Georgia to repair the damage inflicted by its huge neighbour.
Mr Cheney's warm words for Georgia's Nato aspirations are likely to cause consternation in several European capitals, particularly Berlin and Paris. Chancellor Merkel of Germany and Nicolas Sarkozy, the French President, have argued strongly against letting the former Soviet republic into Nato too hastily. America's hawkish stance threatens to sour December's crucial Nato summit, where the membership attempts by Ukraine and Georgia will top the agenda.
follow the link for more... Dick Cheney delivered a bellicose warning to Russia yesterday during a brief visit to war-torn Georgia, promising that America's ... more -
Moscow’s AM90 sound, featuring Mujuice (sponsored video)
The AM 90 sounds are a series of original music cuts featuring eight young musical visionaries to celebrate the iconic Nike Air Max 90. This unique AM 90 sound focuses on Moscow and Russian musician Mujuice. Mujuice, aka Roma Litvinov, was born in 1983 in Moscow. He takes electronic music production as an opportunity to break digital composing stereotypes, creating eclectic music from almost everything - from acoustic Jazz and pseudo symphonic music to experimental clicks'n'cuts, microsampling and glitch tech. Mujuice is also a student in graphic design and works professionally in this field..
Music: ‘AM909’ by Mujuice, courtesy of Algorythmik The AM 90 sounds are a series of original music cuts featuring eight young musical visionaries to celebrate the iconic Nike Air Max 90... more -
Georgia to sever diplomatic ties with Russia
Georgia said Friday it will recall all diplomatic staff from its embassy in Moscow to protest the presence of Russian troops on its territory. Russia criticized the move, saying it will not benefit relations between the countries. Georgia said Friday it will recall all diplomatic staff from its embassy in Moscow to protest the presence of Russian troops on its te... more
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Russia may cut oil flow to West
Fears are mounting that Russia may restrict oil deliveries to Western Europe over coming days, in response to the threat of EU sanctions and NATO naval actions in the Black Sea.
Any such move would be a dramatic escalation of the Georgia crisis and play havoc with the oil markets.
Reports have begun to circulate in Moscow that Russian oil companies are under orders from the Kremlin to prepare for a supply cut to Germany and Poland through the Druzhba (Friendship) pipeline. It is believed that executives from lead-producer LUKoil have been put on weekend alert.
"They have been told to be ready to cut off supplies as soon as Monday," claimed a high-level business source, speaking to The Daily Telegraph. Any move would be timed to coincide with an emergency EU summit in Brussels, where possible sanctions against Russia are on the agenda.
Any evidence that the Kremlin is planning to use the oil weapon to intimidate the West could inflame global energy markets. US crude prices jumped to $119 a barrel yesterday on reports of hurricane warnings in the Gulf of Mexico, before falling back slightly.
Global supplies remain tight despite the economic downturn engulfing North America, Europe and Japan. A supply cut at this delicate juncture could drive crude prices much higher, possibly to record levels of $150 or even $200 a barrel.
With US and European credit spreads already trading at levels of extreme stress, a fresh oil spike would rock financial markets. The Kremlin is undoubtedly aware that it exercises extraordinary leverage, if it strikes right now.
Such action would be seen as economic warfare but Russia has been infuriated by Nato meddling in its "backyard" and threats of punitive measures by the EU. Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov yesterday accused EU diplomats of a "sick imagination".
Armed with $580bn of foreign reserves (the world's third largest), Russia appears willing to risk its reputation as a reliable actor on the international stage in order to pursue geo-strategic ambitions.
"We are not afraid of anything, including the prospect of a Cold War," said President Dmitry Medvedev. . . .
(Go to link for the rest of the article)
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Dmitry Medvedev hasn't been President for that long even. I have a bad feeling about this. What do you think of this? A Cold War really? I don't think it will end up like that, but the EU has an issue on their hands here. Fears are mounting that Russia may restrict oil deliveries to Western Europe over coming days, in response to the threat of EU sanctio... more -
US to deliver aid to tense Georgian port of Poti
In a direct challenge to Russia, the United States announced Tuesday it intends to deliver humanitarian aid to the beleaguered Georgian port city of Poti, which Russian troops still control through checkpoints on the city's outskirts.
The aid will be delivered Wednesday by ship, a U.S. embassy spokesman said.
"The heightened activity of NATO ships in the Black Sea perplexes us," Col. Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn said in Moscow.
"We can confirm that US ship-borne humanitarian aid will be delivered to Poti tomorrow," Guice said.
In Moscow, the deputy head of the Russian military's general staff lashed out at the U.S. naval operation.
"We are worried" about aid the way aid is delivered on warships, Nogoviysyn said. "This is devilish."
"This aid could be bought at any flea market," he added. In a direct challenge to Russia, the United States announced Tuesday it intends to deliver humanitarian aid to the beleaguered Georgia... more -
Russia votes to recognize independence of breakaway regions
Russia's parliament voted unanimously Monday to urge the president to recognize the independence of Georgia's two breakaway regions, a move likely to stoke further tensions between Moscow and the small Caucasus nation's Western allies.
The vote follows fighting earlier this month between Russia and Georgia over the separatist territory of South Ossetia. After Russian troops invaded and occupied Georgia proper, most withdrew on Friday _ although several hundred remain, the Georgians say, angering Tbilisi and the West.
Lawmakers in both chambers of Russia's parliament voted unanimously to recognize the independence claims of both South Ossetia and another rebel-held territory, Abkhazia.
But the votes were not legally binding and it was up to President Dmitry Medvedev to make the final call on establishing full diplomatic relations.
Still, experts say the blessing by lawmakers gives the Kremlin an extra bargaining chip in its dealings with the West as it tries to reassert influence in the former Soviet republics and resist moves by Georgia and Ukraine to join NATO.
"Russia's historic role of the guarantor of piece in the Caucasus has increased," said Boris Gryzlov, speaker of the lower chamber. "The Caucasus has always been and will remain the zone of Russia's strategic interests."
Currently, neither Russia nor any other member of the United Nations recognizes the two provinces' independence claims. Both won de-facto independence in the 1990s after wars with Georgia, and have survived ever since with Russia's financial, political and military support.
Both have long sought recognition as independent states, but another possible option many be for one or both to be absorbed into Russia.
Story continues below
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"Neither Abkhazia ... nor South Ossetia will be part of the Georgian state," Abkhazian leader Sergei Bagapsh told the upper chamber of Russia's parliament Monday.
After Georgia tried to reassert control of South Ossetia by force Aug. 7, Russian troops overwhelmed the Georgians, and for nearly two weeks occupied positions deep within Georgia.
Most of those forces withdrew Friday, although some Russian troops continue to operate near the Black Sea port of Poti and in areas just outside the boundaries of the breakaway regions.
The fighting has dragged relations between Russia and the West to a post-Cold War low, as Western nations accused Russia of reneging on a commitment to withdraw forces from its smaller neighbor.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has called a special meeting of European Union leaders Sept. 1 to determine what steps the EU will take in terms of aid to Georgia and future relations with Russia. France holds the 27-member bloc's rotating presidency.
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, however, said Monday the EU was not considering any sanctions against Moscow.
Russia's critics say the conflict in Georgia heralds a new, worrying era in which an increasingly assertive Kremlin has shown itself ready to resort to military force outside its borders.
On Sunday, a U.S. Navy destroyer loaded with humanitarian aid reached Georgia's Black Sea port of Batumi, bringing baby food, milk, bottled water and a message of support for an embattled ally.
The guided missile cruiser, carrying about 55 tons of humanitarian aid, was the first of three American ships scheduled to arrive this week.
The deputy chief of Russia's general staff suggested Monday the arrival of U.S. and other NATO warships in the Black Sea would increase tensions. Russia shares the sea with NATO members Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria as well as Georgia and Ukraine.
The steps taken by the United States "add another degree to the tension in the region," Anatoly Nogovitsyn said Monday in televised remarks. Russia's parliament voted unanimously Monday to urge the president to recognize the independence of Georgia's two breakaway ... more -
Should Georgia be allowed to join NATO?
NATO foreign ministers will gather in Brussels on Tuesday to discuss Georgia's future, leaving many to wonder about whether it could join the organisation.
The question of how the Caucasus conflict would have turned out had Georgia already been a NATO member has also been a hot topic of discussion.
The USA, the East Europeans and the Ukraine want to quickly bring Georgia into NATO. The US is eager to have as many former soviet satellite states and provinces allied with the West.
However, Germany and France fear involvement with the problematic area of Georgia and do not want to give Moscow the feeling of being threatened or surrounded.
The NATO-Russia Council has existed since 2002. This ties Russia to NATO without giving the country any veto power. This agreement can be immediately frozen, and the chances of Russia dropping out are pretty good.
Will Georgia join NATO? Will Russia drop out? NATO foreign ministers will gather in Brussels on Tuesday to discuss Georgia's future, leaving many to wonder about whether it co... more -
NATO tells Russia to get out of Georgia, or else!
Or else what? Or else Moscow will face "ununspecified consequences." I'm not sure we want to wait around to find out. Moscow is reportedly taking its sweet time to withdraw forces from Georgia. And the US and European governments are getting tired of waiting for them. "In Moscow, President Dmitri Medvedev said Russia's troops would start withdrawing today. But there is a yawning gap between what Moscow and the west understand by withdrawal." Or else what? Or else Moscow will face "ununspecified consequences." I'm not sure we want to wait around to find out. M... more
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US plane delivers aid to Georgia
The first planeload of US aid has been delivered to Georgia as Washington steps up its support for the shaky ceasefire with Russia.
A C-17 military aircraft brought supplies into the capital Tbilisi and a second flight is planned for later today.
George Bush has promised to support Georgia with humanitarian supplies and said he expects Russia to allow aid into the country, ensuring all lines of communication and transport remain open.
Georgia's President Mikheil Saakashvili said Mr Bush's pledge meant Georgian ports and airports would be taken under US military control but this claim was swiftly denied by the Pentagon.
The US president also criticized Moscow for apparently breaking the ceasefire.
"The United States of America stands with the democratically-elected government of Georgia," Mr Bush said.
"We insist that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia be respected."
US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice is due to arrive in Tbilisi later after talks in Paris.
Russia has denied violating the ceasefire and rejected claims its troops had advanced on Tbilisi or looted the town of Gori.
Human Rights Watch, a US-based organization with staff in Georgia, said its on site researchers had witnessed looting of ethnic Georgian villages in South Ossetia, the separatist province at the heart of the current conflict.
Sky News' Andrew Wilson was held at gunpoint in Gori and said there were "vicious looters on the way into town". The first planeload of US aid has been delivered to Georgia as Washington steps up its support for the shaky ceasefire with Russia. ... more -
Russian Skinhead Gang Posts Cell Video of Attacks on Foreigners Online
The Moscow City Court is holding a preliminary hearing in the case of 13 skinheads, 12 of them underage, charged with two murders and 10 attempted murders. The Moscow City Court is holding a preliminary hearing in the case of 13 skinheads, 12 of them underage, charged with two murders and ... more
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