Read
- Planetary alignment peaks with celestial show this weekend
- UK fighters escort Pakistan plane to airport, two arrests
- Arizona jury foreman says believed Jodi Arias was abused
- Judge rules against 'America's toughest sheriff' in racial profiling lawsuit
- Justice Department defends journalist email search
Reuters Photojournalism
Our day's top images, in-depth photo essays and offbeat slices of life. See the best of Reuters photography. See more | Photo caption
Sponsored Links
Putin says Russia will not be dictated to on arms sales
Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting of the commission on military-technical cooperation of Russia with foreign states at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, October 17, 2012.
Credit: Reuters/Aleksey Nikolskyi/RIA Novosti/Pool
MOSCOW |
MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that only the U.N. Security Council could restrict Russian weapons sales abroad, a remark that appeared aimed at defending the Kremlin against criticism of its arms supplies to the Syrian government.
"Only sanctions imposed by the U.N. Security Council can serve as a basis for limiting weapons supplies," Putin said, according to state-run Itar-Tass news agency.
"In all other cases, nobody can use any pretext to dictate to Russia on how it should trade and with whom," he was quoted as telling a meeting of a state commission on the arms trade.
The West has criticized Russia for vetoing, along with China, three U.N. Security Council resolutions aimed at putting pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to end a conflict that has killed an estimated 30,000 people in 19 months.
Russia sold Syria $1 billion worth of weapons last year and has made clear it would oppose an arms embargo in the Security Council because of what it says are concerns rebels fighting Assad's government would get weapons illegally anyway.
Putin said in June that Russia was not delivering any weapons to Syria that could be used in a civil conflict.
Turkey said on October 11 that a Syrian passenger plane grounded en route from Moscow to Damascus was carrying weapons. Moscow said the cargo included radar parts that were of dual civilian and military use but were fully legal.
Moscow in 2010 scrapped plans to deliver high-precision air defense missile systems to Iran, citing sanctions imposed by the U.N. Security Council over Tehran's nuclear program, a move welcomed by the United States and its European allies.
Russia denies trying to prop up Assad, who allows Russia to maintain a naval supply facility in the port of Tartus that is its only military base outside the former Soviet Union.
But Moscow says Syria's crisis must be resolved without foreign interference, particularly military intervention.
(Reporting by Alissa de Carbonnel; Writing by Steve Gutterman; Editing by Jon Boyle)
- Tweet this
- Link this
- Share this
- Digg this
- Reprints
Maybe it has something to do with the hated Communist Red Star still being placed on the bows of NEW Russian Naval vessels and the wings of NEW Russian military aircraft, and why the hated Lenin’s tomb is still in Red Square (not destroyed in 1992); and also why the Russian “electorate” inexplicably are only electing for President and Prime Minister persons who were Soviet era Communist Party Quislings:
Presidents of Russia since 1991:
Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin – July 10, 1991 – December 31, 1999 – Communist.
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin – 31 December 1999 – 7 May 2000 (Acting) and May 7, 2000 – May 7, 2008 – Communist.
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev – May 7, 2008 – May 7, 2012, during his studies at the University he joined the Communist Party.
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin – May 7, 2012 – Present, Communist.
Here’s another “former” Soviet republic whose “electorate” are also only electing for President persons who were Soviet era Communist Party Quislings:
Ukraine:
Leonid Makarovych Kravchuk, December 5, 1991 – July 19, 1994, joined Ukraine Communist Party in 1958.
Leonid Danylovych Kuchma, July 19, 1994 – January 23, 2005, Communist, 1960.
Viktor Andriyovych Yushchenko, January 23, 2005 – February 25, 2010, Communist, 1980.
Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych, February 25, 2010 – Present, Communist, 1980.
Beginning to get the picture? You’ve been lied to for 21 years.
Oh, you’d like to see one more “former” Soviet republic’s presidential list for the last 21 years? Sure, in fact I’ll give you six “former” republics:
Tajikistan:
Emomalii Rahmon – November 20, 1992 – Present, Communist.
Uzbekistan:
Islam Abdug‘aniyevich Karimov – March 24, 1990 – Present, Communist.
Kyrgyzstan:
Askar Akayevich Akayev – October 27, 1990 – March 24, 2005, Communist.
Belarus:
Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko – July 20, 1994 – Present, Communist.
Armenia:
Levon Ter-Petrossian – October 16, 1991 – February 3, 1998, Communist.
Robert Kocharyan – February 4, 1998 – April 9, 2008, Communist.
Serzh Azati Sargsyan – April 9, 2008 – Present, Communist.
and
Azerbaijan:
Ayaz Niyazi oğlu Mütallibov – October 30, 1991 – March 6, 1992, Communist.
Abulfez Elchibey – June 16, 1992 – September 1, 1993, not Communist.
Heydar Alirza oglu Aliyev – June 24, 1993 – October 31, 2003, Communist.
Ilham Heydar oglu Aliyev (Son of third President) – October 31, 2003 – Present, Communist.
Got the picture, now?
The question is, why isn’t “democratic” Russia killing the same persons as the rest of the democratic world? Why is “democratic” Russia killing people that Communist China also supports “democratic” Russia should kill? If you had read my comment above, you wouldn’t have written your silly comment.
Follow Reuters