Quote :

" MOSCOW - President Vladimir Putin vowed Wednesday to strengthen Russia's military capability and step up spying abroad in response to U.S. plans to build missile defense sites and deploy troops in Eastern Europe. ADVERTISEMENT "The situation in the world and internal political interests require the Foreign Intelligence Service to permanently increase its capabilities, primarily in the field of information and analytical support for the country's leadership," Putin said at a meeting with senior military and security officers in remarks that were posted on the Kremlin's Web site. The Foreign Intelligence Service is a successor agency to the KGB. Putin did not identify specific nations as targets, but officials in the United States and Britain have said recently that Moscow has intensified its spying in those countries. Putin said U.S. plans to station troops in Eastern Europe and Washington's intention to base missile defense sites in Poland and the Czech Republic pose security challenges for Russia. Washington says the facilities are necessary to protect the U.S. and Europe from missiles launched by Iran or other rogue states. Putin has proposed that the U.S. use a Soviet-built radar base in Azerbaijan for missile defense. U.S. officials have questioned whether the facility is technically compatible with American systems. On Wednesday, Putin said Washington was stonewalling. "Alternative ways of protection from hypothetical missile threats which we proposed have been left unanswered," he said. "All-round strengthening of our military forces is one of our indisputable priorities," Putin said, promising to continue equipping the military with new weapons. Putin also criticized the United States and other NATO members for failing to ratify an amended version of the 1990 Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty, which limits the deployment of tanks, aircraft and other heavy non-nuclear weapons around the continent. Earlier this month, Putin suspended Russia's participation in the treaty and threatened to withdraw from it completely if NATO nations do not ratify its amended version, which was signed in 1999, to reflect changes since the 1991 Soviet collapse. NATO members have refused to do that until Russia withdraws its troops from the former Soviet republics of Moldova and Georgia. Putin said the old version of the CFE treaty counted arsenals of former Soviet satellites and republics which are now NATO members as part of the Soviet bloc. In particular, it counted weapons in the ex-Soviet Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania as part of what was the Soviet Baltic Military District. "Maybe I should appoint one of you as its commander?" Putin said wryly. Russia's relations with the United States and other Western nations have grown increasingly acrimonious amid Western concerns that Russia is edging away from democracy and Kremlin suspicions about the West's intentions."

i hate russia so much i cant believe bush said he looked into putins eyes and saw a good soul

7/25/2007 8:20:22 PM

[putin's lack of goodness notwithstanding] wait, when the US does all that shit, they are the good guys, but when another country does it, they are bad?

7/25/2007 8:28:52 PM

You really can't help yourself, can you? It's almost as if you have some sort of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

7/25/2007 9:09:25 PM

this isnt important enough to piss your pants

7/25/2007 9:10:33 PM

you know, Putin's arguments really aren't wrong as far as I can tell, with the exception of not withdrawing troops from various countries. and even then...

7/25/2007 9:20:52 PM

sorry i guess this thread wasnt as important as i thought...it just seems like russia and china dont get the negative attention they deserve...everyone knows how america is evil but there is not enough to make them look bad now a days...idk maybe its just me longing for the good oll days of the cold war but i think russia and china are evil

[Edited on July 26, 2007 at 4:40 AM. Reason : i mean look at sudan...china buys their oil...with the money they buy guns from russia...]

7/26/2007 4:39:33 AM

So does this mean they are going to start paying their military?

7/26/2007 7:12:59 AM

^ ZING!

7/26/2007 7:44:42 AM

I read an article a few weeks ago saying that we're headed to another cold war with Russia. It talked about how warm the relations were when putin first took office and how they have went downhill fast......this could be a possible start of a new head to head arms race, but this time China will get in on it.

7/26/2007 10:14:38 AM

A cold war with Russia? Who cares. That's Russias problem, nobody does.

7/26/2007 10:35:11 AM

its all posturing... putin is nearing an election... he needs the enemy is closing in syndrome to get support for his crony that will win

7/26/2007 11:03:57 AM

Quote :

" President Vladimir Putin dissolved Russia's government Wednesday in a major political shakeup ahead of parliamentary and presidential elections, the Kremlin said. The dissolution is expected to result in a new prime minister, who will be seen as Putin's choice to succeed him after he steps down next spring. "

http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=3590592

9/12/2007 8:32:45 AM

very interesting...

9/12/2007 10:04:37 AM

Quote :

"I read an article a few weeks ago saying that we're headed to another cold war with Russia."

I seriously doubt that this is the beginning of a new Cold War. This is more a case of Russia trying to restore itself on the global scene as a legitimate global power. Given their rise, China's rapid growth, and growing European independence, I'd say that this is simply another sign that we're shifting from a unipolar back to a multi-polar world. Just because Putin rebuilds Russia's military, and China starts reasserting itself doesn't mean we have to carve up the world again into camps and start butchering each other in proxy wars.

9/12/2007 2:33:04 PM

+1 for Russia. Good to see them taking the right stance here.

drunknloaded are you fucking high or something? I've never read a more retarded post in my life.

[Edited on September 12, 2007 at 2:42 PM. Reason : fda]

9/12/2007 2:40:41 PM

+1 for dissolving the government?

9/12/2007 3:21:39 PM