India-Russia: News & Analysis

Vipul · Post by **Vipul** » 29 Jan 2009 20:36

Pakistan is simply too broke to be able to buy the increasingly expensive (and inferior compared to similar Western systems) Russian arms.
Also Russia would be wary of supplying anything cutting-edge to them else reverse engineered Panda copies would soon undercut the Russian arms in the world arms market.

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 29 Jan 2009 20:37

At this point in time I would not worry about Gilani and anyone else. Even the great China has not provided proper support to her all weather friend in the past few months. Unless Pakistanis can provide more stability no one dare to help them out - too low a ROI. And, as I have been saying for some 10 years, Pakis are very good at shooting themselves in the foot and in the recent past the risk of being associated with them has gone up up exponentially.

WRT Russia - unlike the US, Russia is in no position to provide free aid to Pakis. Not to mention Russia will want a lot more in return and Pakis are in no position to renegotiate deals at the last minute.

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 29 Jan 2009 20:49

imho, no one stop russia selling pakis the arms. did they say anything when we bought things from america or france or israel? i think, advancing our weapons is a better choice, and in parallel exert economic and diplomatic pressure on pakistan.. this way they will be bankrupt faster. racing is good for us, if we think right. it puts us in crisis.

renukb · Post by **renukb** » 31 Jan 2009 16:21

Russia successfully orbits spacecraft with Indian payload
http://www.ptinews.com/pti%5Cptisite.ns ... enDocument

Russia's star is rising - Indian astrologists
http://www.russiatoday.com/news/news/36682

Vipul · Post by **Vipul** » 05 Feb 2009 01:17

Fitch cuts Russian debt rating, sparks memories of '98 crash.

Russia had its debt rating cut by Fitch Ratings for the first time in more than a decade as falling oil prices contributed to dwindling foreign currency reserves and record capital flight.

The rating was lowered to BBB, the second-lowest investment grade, from BBB+, Fitch said in a statement. Fitch maintained its negative outlook. Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services took the same action on December 8. Russian stocks erased earlier gains, while bonds were little changed.

Emerging markets are being battered by the global financial crisis as investors shun assets seen as being riskier. Russia, the world’s largest energy supplier, has spent $210 billion, or more than a third of its currency reserves, supporting the ruble since August, Fitch said.

“The country made a mistake trying to defend the ruble when it was indefensible,” said Nouriel Roubini, the New York University professor who forecast a US recession two years ago, in an interview in Moscow.

Foreign investors have pulled about $290 billion out of the country in the same period, according to BNP Paribas SA estimates. The flight of capital is putting pressure on government finances and makes it difficult for Russian companies to refinance debt, Fitch said.

“The scale of capital outflows and the pace of decline in Russia’s foreign exchange reserves have materially weakened the sovereign balance sheet,” said Edward Parker, head of emerging Europe at Fitch, in the statement.

“The downgrade reflects the negative impact on Russia from the fall in commodity prices and the dislocation to global capital markets.” The central bank “may be running out” of cash to bolster the ruble, with the amount of reserves available to support the currency expected to decline from $59.4 billion at the end of January to less than zero at the end of the year, JPMorgan Chase & Co said in a report.

Moody’s may “follow the trend” with a downgrade of Russian debt, Commerzbank AG said.

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 05 Feb 2009 12:12

Vipul · Post by **Vipul** » 05 Feb 2009 22:01

Do they have the Moolah to maintain the alliance?

Igorr · Post by **Igorr** » 06 Feb 2009 00:41

According to Medvedev, the source of dangerouse development in C.Asia are Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Of course, we also discussed the situation in Central Asia. This is something we always discuss. Our common task is to reinforce security and stability in the Central Asian region. One of our priorities is cooperation in organisations such as the CSTO [Collective Security Treaty Organisation] and the SCO [Shanghai Cooperation Organisation]. Our region has not only big investment projects but also a large number of unresolved problems. There are countries in a very difficult situation and they need our help to build up their own political systems and prevent all the problems associated with terrorism, drugs trafficking and other problems. I am referring to the problems in Afghanistan and Pakistan. These are issues that we always discuss during our contacts. We discuss these matters in multilateral meetings and also at bilateral meetings, of course, at intergovernmental level, as discussions between two countries.

We will therefore continue to provide all necessary assistance in settling these kinds of conflict situations. We believe that achieving peace and stability in these countries and in the region in general is in our common interests. In this respect, we will do everything possible within the CSTO and the SCO. This is our strategic policy.

VinodTK · Post by **VinodTK** » 06 Feb 2009 05:33

Russia anchors ties with India

Karan Dixit · Post by **Karan Dixit** » 06 Feb 2009 21:47

Russia to supply more Krivak-class warships to India

http://www.newkerala.com/topstory-fullnews-87236.html

Igorr · Post by **Igorr** » 07 Feb 2009 18:36

Domestic security exhibition in Moscow

Igorr · Post by **Igorr** » 07 Feb 2009 20:08

Some news from the Internet. The Australian think-tank, Air Power Australia (APA), has released another in their series of techno-strategy papers, this time analysing the advancements in Russian-built Integrated Air Defense Systems (IADS) ( http://www.ausairpower.net/APA-2009-02.html ), and what it means in global strategic terms for the Americans. The APA report is direct and unequivocal – Russian radar and missiles have improved to the point where the US fleet of F-15s, F-16s and F/A-18s, as well as the planned Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), are not capable of surviving against these systems and unless the Americans build another four hundred-plus F-22s, they will lose the strategic advantage they have held since the end of the Cold War.
The result will be nations such as China, Iran and Venezuela thumbing their noses at the Americans, knowing that no President will commit to using force in the knowledge that hundreds of jets and pilots would be lost.
The paper comes a month after APA savaged the JSF ( http://www.ausairpower.net/APA-2009-01.html ). APA’s Dr. Carlo Kopp, who completed his PhD in radar engineering, simulated the radar signature of the F-35 and showed exactly how vulnerable it will be to the Russian radar systems and missiles that have emerged since the specification for the JSF was drafted over a decade ago. Lockheed-Martin has not publicly disputed Kopp’s findings yet.
The APA IADS study confirms, in tedious detail, what many of us have suspected or known for some time and what U.S. Air Force generals said repeatedly before being forcefully muzzled by the Bush Administration. That is the simple fact that the globalised economy has given Russian radar and missile designers the technology to close the gap with the US and EU designers in most areas which matter. The Russians have used this technology to digitize many Cold War missile and radar designs, and vastly improve post-Cold War designs. The new S-400 has no equivalent in the West, having outstripped and outgrown the Patriot.
The Russians obviously spent a lot of time thinking about how the Americans busted the Iraqi IADS in 1991 and the Serbian IADS in 1999. Like chess players, they looked at what the Americans used, where they were going, and figured out how to checkmate the mighty US Air Force.
Russian industry is now building and marketing short-range missile systems specifically built to shoot down American HARM anti-radar missiles and cruise missiles. They are also putting electronic countermeasures and decoys on their radars to prevent missiles and smart bombs from hitting them. Further, the Russians are currently testing a 400 km range missile, the 40N6, so they can shoot down or drive off American jamming aircraft like the Prowler, Growler and Compass Call. These same missiles can be used to keep the Rivet Joint and AWACS electronic reconnaissance systems out of useful range.
In strategic terms, the Americans are now in real trouble. China is fielding around 500 Russian Flankers and the latest Russian IADS. Iran is fielding the SA-20, and already has the SA-5, upgraded Chinese SA-2s and, some people claim, the HQ-9s – cloned SA-20s. Further, the US aerial tanker fleet is 40-years-old, and the fighter fleet was mostly built twenty-five years ago – many of the F-15s are now older than the pilots flying them. Iraq and Afghanistan have bankrupted the U.S. defence budget and now Wall Street has bankrupted the U.S. economy.
The only modern and credible fighter the Americans have is the F-22, and it is the only way they can recapitalise their collapsing fighter fleet in the next decade, with an aircraft which can actually survive the first day of an air war. The F-35 is not an F-22 and can never become an F-22. The F-35 is, first and foremost, an export fighter program.
We should not mislead ourselves about the seriousness of this matter. Leading American analyst Dr. Richard Hallion, in a recent interview commented: “Today, if NATO wanted to establish an air exclusion zone over Georgia, it could not do so with any aircraft other than the 5th Generation F-22 Raptor...”.
Who is most to blame for American air power now teetering on the edge of collapse?
Clearly it has been the Bush Administration, who considered the EU fighter industry a more important enemy to kill than exported Russian Sukhoi fighters and Almaz SAM systems. Rather than sticking with the conservative US Air Force plan for 700+ F-22s, they chopped the number down to 180 aircraft. Why? To force every American service and every American ally to buy into the F-35 monopoly.
Where does this leave us Europeans? We have, since the start of the Cold War, depended on the Americans to provide the fighter top cover, the SAM suppression and the standoff radar jamming none of us were prepared to fund. We, much like the Americans, overindulged in the peace dividend and downsized several times over.
The mighty collective NATO air forces are now a pale shadow of what they were in 1989.
If the Obama Administration decides to follow the Bush Administration policy to terminate F-22 production, the strategic consequences will be just as grave for America’s NATO allies as they will be for America.

Karan Dixit · Post by **Karan Dixit** » 07 Feb 2009 21:48

Feb. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Russia will become the first supplier of nuclear fuel to India since a club of uranium producers lifted a three-decade ban on sales to the south Asian country.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid= ... RzA34bM5pI

vina · Post by **vina** » 08 Feb 2009 08:10

It looks like the Russian economy has collapsed again wiht, the Ruble reduced to Rubbles. Time to kick those Russian thugs in the balls and make them cough up for all the song and dance they have played around with VikAd, the Nuke Subs and the "Natasha" play and everything else.

Anyways, everything will be back on the table again now. We have to be extremely careful. It is in such situatiosn Panda plays it's best cards and opens it's dollah chest and goes and buys up whatever is available. Have to make sure that all the JV stuff between Russia and India is not given to Panda at any price.

Yeah. Yeah. This time, the Russian apologists have no one to blame. Cant blame the west now for oil prices crashing, can they. Anyway, the Russian economic "miracle" has collapsed.

February 8, 2009
Have Car, Need Briefs? In Russia, Barter Is Back
By ELLEN BARRY

MOSCOW — Does the Taganrog Automobile Factory have a deal for you! Rows of freshly minted Hyundai Santa Fe sport utility vehicles are available right now. In exchange — well, do you have any circuit boards? Or sheet metal? Or sneakers?

Here is a sign of the financial times in Russia: Barter is back on the table.

Advertisements are beginning to appear in newspapers and online, like one that offered “2,500,000 rubles’ worth of premium underwear for any automobile,” and another promising “lumber in Krasnoyarsk for food or medicine.” A crane manufacturer in Yekaterinburg is paying its debtors with excavators.

And one of Russia’s original commodities traders, German L. Sterligov, has rolled out a splashy “anti-crisis” initiative that he says will link long chains of enterprises in a worldwide barter system.

All this evokes a bit of déjà vu. In the mid-1990s, barter transactions in Russia accounted for an astonishing 50 percent of sales for midsize enterprises and 75 percent for large ones.

The practice kept businesses afloat for years but also allowed them to defer some fundamental changes needed to make them more competitive, like layoffs and price reductions. It also hurt tax revenues.

The comeback is on a small scale so far. The most recent statistics available, from November, showed that barter deals made up about 3 to 4 percent of total sales, according to the Russian Economic Barometer, an independent bulletin. Nevertheless, economists are taking note.

“Russians are so arrogant that they never cut prices,” said Vladimir Popov, a professor at Moscow’s New Economic School. By turning to barter systems during an economic downturn, he said, “you are hiding your head in the sand.”

It would be hard, however, to dissuade business owners who see barter as a point of light on a bleak financial horizon.

Among the most upbeat of them is Mr. Sterligov, who, just as the credit crunch brought most business deals to a halt, shoveled $13 million into the Anti-Crisis Settlement and Commodity Center.

Mr. Sterligov, 42, is one of the great characters of Russian capitalism. In his mid-20s, on the eve of the Soviet Union’s collapse, he was a freewheeling, chain-smoking commodities trader surrounded by leggy assistants.

But Mr. Sterligov sat out the oil-fueled prosperity of recent years. After a failed run against Vladimir V. Putin in the 2004 presidential election, he retreated to a log house outside Moscow, opting for the beard and boots of a Russian shepherd. In August, intimations of the financial crash lured him out of the woods.

He plans to use a computer database to create chains of six or seven enterprises having difficulty selling their products for cash, in which the last firm on the chain would pay the first in a single cash transaction.

It is the kind of multiparty barter that rose to prominence in the 1990s, when managers of factories across Russia devised complex barter chains to keep the maximum number of enterprises in business when none had cash to pay their bills. A computer, he said, can do the same job faster and more efficiently.

“What was in the past will remain in the past,” Mr. Sterligov said in an interview last month, from the 26th-floor suite he has rented in a Moscow high-rise. “We are making a step into the future.”

So far, economists doubt that barter will grow to the level it reached in the 1990s. Earlier in the transition to a market economy, industrialists still had little monetary stake in their businesses but were dependent on the prestige that went with executive positions, said Andrei Yakovlev of the Higher School of Economics here. They had little incentive to cut costs, and barter deals kept them going for five years, he said.

Now, business owners and managers “are really trying to reduce costs and reduce inefficiency,” Mr. Yakovlev said. Interest in barter, he said, is more likely to come from regional governments, which have the most to lose from high unemployment.

Barter is a side effect of tight monetary policy, said Mr. Popov, who is teaching at Carleton University in Ottawa. Russia is in the grip of a liquidity crisis. As in the mid-1990s, the government has made it a priority to shore up the economy by buying up rubles, hoping to avoid the panicky sell-off that comes with rapid devaluation. The ruble has gradually slid from 23.4 to the dollar in early August, before Russia’s war in Georgia, to 36.2 to the dollar last week.

As a result, the money supply continues to contract, and some enterprises turn to barter to survive. “We are stepping for the second time on the same rake,” Mr. Popov said. “The second time is a greater sin.”

Long-term macroeconomic trends, however, are the last thing manufacturers were thinking about in recent weeks.

The Hyundai factory in Taganrog, the southern seaport where Chekhov was born, rolled out a barter promotion on its Web site, offering to trade vehicles for “raw materials,” “high-tech equipment” or “other liquid goods, including finished products of various branches of industry.” Gleb Korotkov, a spokesman for the factory, said he could not be specific about what goods were meant, saying it was a “commercial secret.”

Barter deals seem to be spreading fastest in construction industries. Dmitri Smorodin, who runs a large St. Petersburg building firm, said he thought for two months before announcing in late January that he was willing to accept barter items — including food products — as payment for construction work.

He said he hoped that adopting the strategy early in the crisis would give him an edge over his competitors.

“Food we would happily accept, because it’s easy to sell,” he said. “Of course, money is always preferable.”

In contrast, Uralchem, a fertilizer producer, refused payment in grain and beef, because the company conforms to international financial reporting standards in its reports to shareholders, said Andrei Kocherov, a spokesman for Uralchem, which was founded in 2007. The modern accounting system would preclude barter, he said.

Meanwhile, in Bashkortostan, a republic in southwestern Russia, local development officials publicly encouraged businesses to develop barter chains.

Sergei Ryazanov, 30, a businessman from the Siberian city of Surgut, took out an advertisement a month ago offering to barter excess metal piping. So far, he has not been impressed by the offers he has received; he said people were not desperate enough to drop prices. He is looking for a truly liquid commodity, something universal, like gasoline. Even underwear, which, he said, “is much more liquid than automobiles.”

He was intrigued by Mr. Sterligov’s idea, though he questioned the wisdom of planning a career in barter. “It will take him a couple years to get it right,” Mr. Ryazanov said. “And then, in two years, liquidity will be back.”

Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company
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NRao · Post by **NRao** » 08 Feb 2009 08:19

Igorr,

Those are written by Dr Carlo Kopp. What do you expect?

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 08 Feb 2009 08:21

It looks like the Russian economy has collapsed again ..........

I do not understand the situation out there. What ever happened to all the petrodollars?

Wonder if they will now renegotiate downward the cost of Vicky.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 08 Feb 2009 09:40

The Russia economy has not colapsed per say , its just that Global Recession is affecting them just like its affecting every one , the petro dollar downfall has done no good either.

But they have huge foreign reserves , which was essentially created to deal with this kind of scenerio which is fall in crude oil price , so this year to over come the budget deficiet they will use some percentage of that reserve.

But since they are also supply gas to europe and have stable customers in Germany , France , they are making good $$ out from that sale

asprinzl · Post by **asprinzl** » 08 Feb 2009 09:47

Russians made hundreds of billions in petroleum sales. Most of the money was kept in European banks and US banks. In Europe the favorite locale was Iceland banks. When the Iceland's economy melted away was there any surprise why Russia came to the rescue? The problem now is that with most banks in the US having major balance of sheet problems there is no way Russia can withdraw some of her billions to help the situation at home. For one the banks in the west are not in the mood to allow massive withdrawal. Second, the banks in the west have no cash to allow withdrawal. Not sure how much of Russia's billions got wasted in Bernie Maddof's ponzi scheme but I will not be surprised if some money went that way too.

Key question: Why didn't Russians park their pertoleum profits in Russian banks or Russian government bonds?
Answer: They never trusted their banks or their government. Even Russian government agencies like Robos (the arms exporter) didnt trust Russian banks. They trusted piddly little Icelandic banks more than their own. I hate to see Russia collapsing but thats the irony of it all.
Avram

Igorr · Post by **Igorr** » 08 Feb 2009 19:16

Avram, what you said about capital investition is economic nonsense. What sence for Russia to convert foreign currency to rubles when rubles can be printed by Kremlin just as Washington do it with dollars? Of course there is a sence to keep 'petrodollars' in dollars euros, francs, gold etc liquid assets, and diversify it. There are lot of US gov bonds too, it's still liquid before US economy totally crashed isnt it

They also keep run the gold and diamond industry in Siberia - it's better then untrusted dollar in any way.

There are NO shares were bought by Russian goverment BTW. So there is no big loss for Russian reserves due to stock crash. The losses of like $120-150 bill from 500 bill was only due to western banks requested from Russian banks and companies their debts back before shchedule. In such situation Russian goverment decided to change Western banks as a loaner for debtors. Second: they kept devaluation of ruble smooth to not allow losts for citizens. So we had a lot of time to change the currency for saving who need it.

What I see the economic situation in Russia is still much better than in Eastern Europe, Baltic states (EU) where they cut all social investitions. Look for people unrests in Latvia, Bulgaria, Lituania. In Russia the current budget is enough for social programs, however the unemployment something rised. After some years of souring surplus this is gonna be some deficite, thats all. Look, on other hand the 20% devaluation of ruble during 3 month is good for Russian exporters, especially military. Now They pay less for domestic needs and more take from the export revenue. If you look for AK47/Saiga prices on US market - this has rised from 500 to $900 during last 4 months. This is time for tham to push on international market.

Igorr · Post by **Igorr** » 14 Feb 2009 15:02

Interesting review about how current currency police improves Russian manufacturer status:
Crisis revives Russian producers

Also the use of UAVs (ZALA) in Russian ground forces exersises

Suppiah · Post by **Suppiah** » 14 Feb 2009 19:24

It was hilarious to watch the commie murderer and the despot thug wail in Davos about the state of the economy and blaming Uncle Sam for all their troubles. After all these guys have been shouting from their rooftops that their 'model' is far superior and they have becomes engines of growth on their own right...if that were true, they should be celebrating not wailing..

Like I posted several months ago, more than once, Russia is going to end up devastated far more than US because of this crisis and the oil price drop..it is becoming clear with each passing day. Now the puppet Medvedev, who seems to have a little bit more sense but lot less control though he is supposed to be the No.1, releasing stories through his cronies that 'political reform' is necessary...in the current context that means Unca Putin should let loose a bit and perhaps take a long walk.

Whether that happens or not, the bills are coming and they have to be paid. A grand opportunity to catch up with US and perhaps pose a genuine challenge to them strategically instead of pin-pricks thru crony regimes of dubious repute, seems to be lost to both Russia and China..because when the Uncle is licking his wounds,his rivals are licking even bigger wounds..neither good nor bad from Indian perspective.

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 14 Feb 2009 23:58

I don't see how Putin is either a "commie" or a "murderer" as you allege. I think he's a firm nationalist who provides the kind of leadership that India is lacking in. Other than our differences over Gorshkov, I think the Russian govt has treated us like a brotherly ally.

derkonig · Post by **derkonig** » 15 Feb 2009 03:00

^^
Ever heard of A. Litvinenko, Anna Politkovskaya, Viktor Yushchenko....

As for commiehood, here you go...
Pootie poot & CCCP..

Pootie Poot is no friend of India, atleast not anymore, all that oil money & Rosneft just go to his head.
What ally is that one which arms twist you on every arms contract? India really needs to give the KGB controlled Kremlin a reality check. It was our money that pretty much kept the Russia MIC running while everything else in Rodina fell apart. Nice way to repay.

Johann · Post by **Johann** » 15 Feb 2009 05:33

asprinzl wrote:Russians made hundreds of billions in petroleum sales. Most of the money was kept in European banks and US banks. In Europe the favorite locale was Iceland banks. When the Iceland's economy melted away was there any surprise why Russia came to the rescue? The problem now is that with most banks in the US having major balance of sheet problems there is no way Russia can withdraw some of her billions to help the situation at home. For one the banks in the west are not in the mood to allow massive withdrawal. Second, the banks in the west have no cash to allow withdrawal. Not sure how much of Russia's billions got wasted in Bernie Maddof's ponzi scheme but I will not be surprised if some money went that way too.

Avram you are confusing the personal wealth of Russia's ruling class, and state revenue. The former is phenomenal when compared to the personal wealth of ruling classes elsewhere, but it is still dwarfed by Russian state revenue.

Russia's tycoons, the senior govt servants and politicians all have substantial personal funds overseas. They've done a lot for real estate agents and bankers in London, Montenegro, Tel Aviv, Nicosia, Dubai, etc.

Russian state corporations with overseas accounts usually exist for two reasons - personal corruption, and the legitimate need to bypass the horrendous red tape when it comes to imports and exports, paying for services, etc.

However the bulk of oil/metals/timber revenue from taxation, royalties, etc went straight to the finance ministry. The Russian state's financial policy was shaped by technocrats and was quite conservative - the oil stabilisation fund is where most of it went. Unlike Iran and Venezuela they didnt just go on a spending spree.

In fact with Russian oil production declining rapidly as older fields are tapped out, and oil prices declining, the challenge for the Russian state is to how to encourage the private sector in to providing the massive investment needed in new oil fields while still maximising revenue.

Keshav · Post by **Keshav** » 15 Feb 2009 05:37

Russo-Indian ties shouldn't be taken for granted any more than any other relationship normally would be.

Scaryass Communist dictator or not, Russia has only increased mutually beneficial ties with India equal that of the USA - energy and arms.

Why not just play both of them?

Suppiah · Post by **Suppiah** » 15 Feb 2009 06:38

Sanjay M wrote:I don't see how Putin is either a "commie" or a "murderer" as you allege. I think he's a firm nationalist who provides the kind of leadership that India is lacking in. Other than our differences over Gorshkov, I think the Russian govt has treated us like a brotherly ally.

Sorry that is a dictionary malfunction. The terms referred to two different persons that addressed that forum -not one. Both wailed in similar themes. I thought that is clear from subsequent sentences, incl. use of word 'they'.

In any case, Putin shares a lot of the commie ideology if not the methods..that is not enough for him to eligible to be called 'commie murderer' a term I use for Stalinist mass murders/rapist goons and their paymasters.

Suppiah · Post by **Suppiah** » 15 Feb 2009 06:51

The right course for Russia to pursue would be what China has been doing in the last 20 years - single minded focus on economy while making empty noises/threats on assorted matters here and there and keep Uncle on his toes..Putin is going far beyond that trying to be a real threat making his strategy march on empty stomach.

As to economy, given its low population base, that too shrinking, but higher skill levels, greater distances from western europe, etc. it cannot be a manufacturing hub making socks and barbie dolls. Its service sector is useless other than some software coders. Which means it has to rely on commodities in the medium term, but use that fund well and not to pursue any idiotic projects of cutting nose to spite the Uncle..good example is recent misadventure in Krgyztan.

Russia essentially purchased the corrupt despot's support by using $2b of 'aid', outbidding the US which was not willing to shell out that kind of money. What did that achieve? Closure of an airbase that Uncle can easily replace amongst that other despots and thugs that dot the neighborhood. The base anyway was not to threaten Russia, it was to fight the Afghan war against elements that even Russia is opposed to. The cost - now Uncle, that too the new Obama admin is even more sure that Russia is upto nasty tricks. Not good economics, forget the morals.

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 15 Feb 2009 08:25

derkonig wrote:^^
Ever heard of A. Litvinenko, Anna Politkovskaya, Viktor Yushchenko....

As for commiehood, here you go...
Pootie poot & CCCP..

Pootie Poot is no friend of India, atleast not anymore, all that oil money & Rosneft just go to his head.
What ally is that one which arms twist you on every arms contract? India really needs to give the KGB controlled Kremlin a reality check. It was our money that pretty much kept the Russia MIC running while everything else in Rodina fell apart. Nice way to repay.

Litvinenko converted to Islam on his deathbed. He's not my kind of patriot. I hope he suffered in the end, while pining for his 72 virgins.
Politskaya was another Burkha Dutt, and I've no sympathy for her.
Yuschenko is another Colour Revolution graduate, who certainly doesn't enjoy broad support among his people. Neither does he get along with Yanukovitch, nor does he get along with Tymoshenko.

Putin, meanwhile has shown firm leadership to pull Russia from the chaos wrought by that drunk Yeltsin.
The enemy of our enemy Brzezinski is our friend.

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 15 Feb 2009 09:09

If Russia goes back to hard core Communism, it would not survive the competition from china and USA. It would be prime time for India to become the greatest power by the learning process of the rekindled cold war, err, it would be warm war this time.. things are not the same for russia.. they have a lost great deal in tech race with the super khans. at least couple of decades.. like how India lost race with China on the economic front (statistics).

Strong self reliance, and engaging all powers (P5 ++), would be an ideal move for us., to remain as a sustaining great power in the future.

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 15 Feb 2009 11:42

Unfortunately, Russia does not seem to be succeeding at a Chilean economy. Instead, they're regressing back into more and more state ownership, in order to exercise control.

There doesn't seem to be a broadening diversification of the economy to increase its resiliency, and so instead there is the continuing over-dependency on oil & gas exports, along with other raw commodities.

derkonig · Post by **derkonig** » 15 Feb 2009 13:55

Sanjay M wrote:
derkonig wrote:^^
Ever heard of A. Litvinenko, Anna Politkovskaya, Viktor Yushchenko....

As for commiehood, here you go...
Pootie poot & CCCP..

Pootie Poot is no friend of India, atleast not anymore, all that oil money & Rosneft just go to his head.
What ally is that one which arms twist you on every arms contract? India really needs to give the KGB controlled Kremlin a reality check. It was our money that pretty much kept the Russia MIC running while everything else in Rodina fell apart. Nice way to repay.
Litvinenko converted to Islam on his deathbed. He's not my kind of patriot. I hope he suffered in the end, while pining for his 72 virgins.
Politskaya was another Burkha Dutt, and I've no sympathy for her.
Yuschenko is another Colour Revolution graduate, who certainly doesn't enjoy broad support among his people. Neither does he get along with Yanukovitch, nor does he get along with Tymoshenko.

Putin, meanwhile has shown firm leadership to pull Russia from the chaos wrought by that drunk Yeltsin.
The enemy of our enemy Brzezinski is our friend.

Agreed that barely any of those, who received their 72 becoz of Pootie Poot, were particularly affable characters, but stop calling Pootie Poot a friend. He has been constantly stabbing India in the back for a while now. If his beef with India is our alleged closeness with Unkil, Pootie Poot's worst nightmare; might we remind him of his closeness with the Dlagon, our mortal enemy.

Its a shame when even a lowly Algeria has the cojones show Pootie Poot the finger by refusing to buy the junk Russkies sold it. About time Kremlin is told, in no uncertain terms, that outside of the clique of Chavez, Asssad & Dinnerjacket, no too many would hazard buying 'ol Russkie equipment. Their arms exports are on a downward trend & yet they refuse to behave. Besides, Dlagon made junk is sure to replace the Russ junk, that assorted rebels, militias & other god-forsaken yahoos across the world use.

Suppiah · Post by **Suppiah** » 15 Feb 2009 14:07

There is nothing wrong in being a commodity export driven economy, in the medium or even long term, if that's all you have got to export. How that money is earned,spent and saved is what matters. That separates the Nigerias from the Norways.

The amount of personal family looting done by the el-presidente may not be on african scales, or may not even be there, but it does not matter if the money is wasted away on foolish adventures that do nothing other than massage the despot'
s megalomaniac ego.

As to the all weather friendship that we are supposedly enjoying with the bear, with or without Putin, Russia has moved on. Our troubles with the rouble debt began long before he came on scene. Our trouble with Groshkov cuts across regimes, and other such troubles are based on the fact that if we do buy Russian arms, we buy them because they are cheap and more reliable ie. in terms of political reliability not technical or financial.

Junk or not Russian arms do kill so we can't have them selling enbloc to the pakbarians. So it is better to shunt them out slowly all the while massaging the ego with some deals here and there. I think that is what GOI is doing.

Putin can sell all he wants to the Chinese and Chavez and other members of the wailing club that he chairs. With oil at this level, the club will have new members from ME.

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 17 Feb 2009 05:57

Commodity-driven economy keeps you hostage to the market demands of the more developed economies. Russia needs to leverage the depth and breadth of its engineering expertise more, by engaging in joint projects with other 2nd-tier powers like India.

Russia should work with us to develop things that will support and sustain globalization, since globalization helps to maintain a multi-polar world, and also helps to broaden the global consumption that keeps Russian commodities in demand.

I really think India and Russia would jointly benefit from making an intercontinental hypersonic transport, perhaps with the cooperation of addtional partners like Japan, France, Korea and Brazil.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-244

Rapid intercontinental transport would help to accelerate globalization and make it irreversible, which is what we ought to work toward, rather than taking our future for granted.

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 17 Feb 2009 06:27

See also

http://www.geocities.com/spacetransport ... tu244.html

http://perso.wanadoo.es/tu144sst/techspecs/tu-244.html

Igorr · Post by **Igorr** » 18 Feb 2009 01:31

S300 seems to be exported to Iran bcos Teheran is close to fulfill its promises in nuclear issue. Video from RuToday

Rudradev · Post by **Rudradev** » 18 Feb 2009 01:38

We need to watch the Russian-Iranian relationship carefully.

Putin is very canny. He has seen Pakistan develop into a basket-case whose severe, chronic instability destroys its value as a strategic asset to anybody.

And he has seen the US get closer and closer to India over the years.

It is quite likely that Putin is already thinking beyond the demise of Pakistan, and making contingency plans to elevate Iran as a potential Russian counterweight against a US-allied India in the future.

A pro-US India and a pro-Russian Iran might come into conflict over the spoils of the post-Paki dispensation... competing for influence over Baluchistan, Pashtunistan et al.

Igorr · Post by **Igorr** » 18 Feb 2009 01:54

Latin America's democratic regimes seek Russian support against US repressive politics in Western Hemisphere.

Also this news:

MOSCOW, Feb. 10 -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday his country will promote the export of arms while the world is experiencing a financial crisis, local media reported.

"This year will not be easy because the whole world is facing a financial crisis ... However, we should try to preserve what we can do (in arms export) and maybe to increase cooperation in some sectors," the Interfax news agency quoted him as saying at a government meeting on military cooperation held near Moscow.

Medvedev urged Russian arms producers to improve quality, sign tangible contracts, and make the price formation transparent.

He also applauded Russia's arms exports in 2008, which exceeded8.35 billion U.S. dollars, up 800 million dollars year on year.

Russia now ranks as the world's No. 2 arms exporter after the United States.

Johann · Post by **Johann** » 18 Feb 2009 05:31

Rudradev wrote:We need to watch the Russian-Iranian relationship carefully.

Putin is very canny. He has seen Pakistan develop into a basket-case whose severe, chronic instability destroys its value as a strategic asset to anybody.

And he has seen the US get closer and closer to India over the years.

It is quite likely that Putin is already thinking beyond the demise of Pakistan, and making contingency plans to elevate Iran as a potential Russian counterweight against a US-allied India in the future.

A pro-US India and a pro-Russian Iran might come into conflict over the spoils of the post-Paki dispensation... competing for influence over Baluchistan, Pashtunistan et al.

Rudradev,

Russia's relationship with Iran is not very different from its relationship with China in some respects.

The collapse of the CPSU ended the ideologically diven mutal hostility between Russia and the two, paving the way for arms exports, all thee share a deep nervousness about attacks on the legitimacy of the political system, and all three would like to see reduced American influence in their near abroad.

However Russia does have a history of conflict with both China and Iran, having gone to war with them in its expansive phase from the 18th through 20th centuries, and there are competitions over spheres of influence.

The Caucasus, Caspian, Central Asia are all places where Russia historically gained to Iran's detriment. A resurgent Iran may not necessarily seek direct conflict, but civilisation states tend to want to restore influence based on what it was in some golden age, and that means replacing Russia in those areas as preferred economic partner, security partner, etc.

So its a very delicate balancing game on the Russian part. They would never want to see Chinese or Iranian power overshadow their own in those contested neighbourhoods, and if that starts to happen, the Russian relationship will change, unless of course Russia is itself in dire straits.

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 18 Feb 2009 06:33

Exactly -- Russia would not benefit from Islamic Iran becoming a free agent and roaming around the Central-Asian and Caucasus neighborhoods. But obviously Russia doesn't want to see Iran become a US agent.

Iran can also help Russia offset Turkey, and not merely just Pakistan, since India can do that too.

But once Turkey goes fully Islamic -- which it will -- then Turkey and Europe will help keep each other occupied.

Suppiah · Post by **Suppiah** » 20 Feb 2009 11:32

Newsweek weighing on the theme..though of course, they don't use the colorful words I use to describe these gentlemen

http://www.newsweek.com/id/184766