Russia on the move

By William D. Zeranski

To say, "Russia's always up to something," isn't wrong, farfetched or inaccurate. The anniversary of the 2008 Russia-Georgia War passed (7 August) unnoticed by most, but Russia has been busy:

...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.

[...]

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.

Solidifying a hold on gains from last summer's war and securing a stronger relationship with an anti-American regime in South America isn't a bad day's work, which also includes a deal "to develop the Latin American country's Orinoco oil belt, with estimated reserves of 235 billion barrels of heavy oil."

For Russia, things just keep getting better, even with speculation over a run-in with Israel over the ‘hijacked' Russian freighter Arctic Sea. The supposition being that Israel gave Russia time to recover a shipment of S-300 surface-to-air missile, which were on their way to Iran, before making the matter public. Russia still unperturbed says, No, to new sanctions against Iran:

[...] Putin signalled that Russia would oppose new sanctions or the use of force against Tehran over its nuclear programme. The prime minister conceded that Tehran had questions to answer over its nuclear ambitions but said any attack on Iran "won't solve the problem" and would damage the entire region.

Being friendly with rogue nations, money making deals, possible secret arms transfers, and just saying, ‘No,' have gone a long way for Putin's Russia.

The Obama Administration has yet to react and probably won't as the administration's policy seems to be: alienate Israel, befriend an antagonistic Hugo Chavez, and consider sanctions, which, more than likely won't work.

Russia has more than ‘wiggle' room, but a pathway to stride, unhindered, over its small neighbor and perhaps beyond.