Putin's speech at kremlin.ru, and some other Russia links.

The complete text of Putin's recent remarkable speech in Munich is up at the Kremlin's site, kremlin.ru, including all of the answers to the many questions he was asked after the speech. I posted on it before, and I still think it was quite an extraordinary and important speech. The discussion after it is noteworthy as well.

First time I ever stumbled on the Kremlin's site, very interesting. More like a presidential site, but that's about the same as the White House site in the US. Here or there, it's always about the politicians, and the cult of personality. There's a lot of material there though, and quite a bit of it in English.

Add: nice article on Putin and Russia in the Guardian, suggesting that the Europeans and Americans may regret their continuous bullying of Russia.


If you want more, the Asia Times has some good recent articles on Russia. One by M. K. Bhadrakumar entitled Russia straddles Sunni-Shi'ite divide, discusses how Russia has been having more success with its diplomacy in the Middle East than the US has had using force. Another one by Nicolai Petro entitled Russia as friend, not foe, is a very good article which details the many ways Russia has made progress since the end of the Cold War, and why the Euro-Americans can't seem to stop insisting that it's the same old Russia. And there's one by Spengler, who is a bit dogmatic and right-wing for my taste, entitled Russia's hudna with the Muslim world, which discusses relations, both now and historically, between Russia and the Islamic world.

Petro's article is particularly good. He gives numerous examples of how what is reported about Russia by the Euro-American press is not matched by the reality inside Russia itself. In a number of areas: democracy, the media, Chechnya, the economy and so on. Sometimes what he reports is quite surprising.


One good thing about the Asia Times is that they publish relatively long and detailed articles, more than the quick soundbites you get from the western media, and ones that offer up some informed and educated historical perspective, something sadly lacking in the Euro-American media.






Russia plans arms sales to Venezuela.

A Washington Times article reports that Russia is moving ahead with plans to sell arms to Venezuela, despite US objections. The initial sale is of AK-47 rifles plus ammunition, with more expected to follow.

Venezuela is setting up some new military units, and otherwise arming to defend against an expected American invasion. It also has been moving to help organize other Latin American governments to do the same.

While Russia seems to be moving vigorously to help contain America, recently offering arms to and making security agreements with India, China, and Iran, among others. But given the history of US relations with Latin America and of the Monroe Doctrine, under which the US has always vigoroously opposed any foreign involvement in the Americas (other than its own, of course), it is an especially extraordinary move, and highlights the degree to which the US has lost influence in the region.


Be aware that the Washington Times is an extremely right-wing paper, one owned I believe by the Reverend Syung Moon, and vigorously anti-Communist. They consider Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to be in alliance with Cuba's Fidel Castro and other Latin American "Marxists", with a plan to overthrow democracies and establish dictatorships. Despite the fact that Chavez himself is quite democratically elected, several times now, and despite the fact that it is the US which has the history of overthrowing democratically elected governments in the area (Chile and Nicaragua, for instance). So take their analysis with more than a few grains of salt.

Given their bias however, it is notable that they note that the US really needs Venezuelan oil, and that this gives the Venezuelans substantial leverage in the matter. Mostly the conservative media tries to hide the fact that the US has become increasingly dependent on foreign money and products to help prop up its rapidly aging house of cards.

The news that the Venezuelans are trying to set up an Al-Jazeera type of news media in Latin America is new to me. A rather interesting development. Al-Jazeera is turning into quite a reliable source of information, much more so than the American media at least.






Russians eliminate prison terms for drug possession.

The Moscow Times reports new laws have gone into effect which reduce drug possession, at least in limited amounts, to an administrative infraction rather than a criminal offense. That's a big step forward in restoring civil liberties there, and once again shows how the rest of the world is moving ahead of the US in this area.


The Moscow Times puts articles behind a paywall after a couple of weeks, so the link to the article won't be valid after a while.






Russian economy booming, no WTO needed.

The Moscow Times reports Forget WTO, Economy Just Fine. Apparently the Russian economy is doing so well that it really doesn't need the WTO any more, and can wait until it can join on its own terms. They see themselves as duplicating Chinese success in the near future, and aren't willing to kowtow to EU demands.


I think it's really interesting given the recent problems the eastern European nations are having settling on terms for the EU, and given how stagnant the French and German economies are. The main reason for giving up their sovereignty and joining the EU would be the economic benefits, but they might start thinking that the trade and benefits are to the east now. Which is a major historical shift for those countries. If France and Germany can put aside their great enmity, then the eastern countries and Russian could as well.






Russian economy growing rapidly.

Reuters reports in the Moscow Times that Russia's economy is expected grow at a rate exceeding 6% in the first nine months of 2003. Which is even more impressive than it sounds, since that's over the 2002 rate, which itself was quite good.

---

End of entries.