Russia heads to South America in the latest tit for tat

[2tallbill]

I don't write these headlines, somebody with rudimentary English sitting with a thesaurus does.

Russia heads to 'America's backyard' to find salve for sanctions
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited several Latin American nations this week to seek trade opportunities that could offset US efforts to puncture Russia's economy.

Russia took its global charm offensive to Latin America this week, as the Kremlin seeks to counter Western sanctions over its policies in eastern Ukraine and Crimea.

Over the past few days, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reassured Cuba of ongoing support, denounced US sanctions against Venezuela, and even suggested Russia might be willing to take part in building a Nicaraguan rival to the Panama Canal. Rumors of Russian arms supplies to several countries in the region have prompted expressions of alarm in Washington.

Mr. Lavrov's four-country visit, the latest in a series by top Russian officials, is part of a major diplomatic campaign to blunt US-led efforts to isolate Moscow for its policies in Ukraine. Over the past year, President Vladimir Putin has staged high-profile meetings with leaders of China, India, Egypt, Turkey, and even Hungary, and in each case come away significant new trade deals – and political breathing space.

Recommended: Think you know Latin America? Take our geography quiz.

Similarly, during a visit to Brazil last summer, Mr. Putin nailed down deals with several Latin American countries to provide goods that have been denied to the Russian market due to its sanctions war with the West.

"Russia is returning to Latin America after a long period of inactivity, and of course this is causing some concern in the US," says Igor Kovalev, deputy chair of world economics at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow. "Russia's role in the region is suddenly growing. Part of that, no doubt, is the need to find ways around Western sanctions against Russia."

WARPLANE RUMORS

Though Moscow has made no official announcements of new arms sales, Western media have been full of reports that Russia is preparing to lease Su-24 attack planes to Argentina and even sell MiG-29 fighters to Nicaragua.

There is more read all about it here
http://news.yahoo.com/russia-heads-americas-backyard-salve-sanctions-192300392.html;_ylt=AwrBEiFY8hZVGzIAomjQtDMD

[jone]

Hmm,  the US is going to have to pull out its 'A' game and we're still playing with a President who never made it out of the foreign policy junior varsity.

Time to get a 'Reset' button in Washington.

[2tallbill]

Hmm,  the US is going to have to pull out its 'A' game and we're still playing with a President who never made it out of the foreign policy junior varsity.

Time to get a 'Reset' button in Washington.

Yes, we have a tee ball President seeing major league pitching for the first time.

[alex330]

Argentina will accept the jets but has no military power to do anything. They stopped the mandatory draft years ago and most of the residents barely work and prefer to smoke pakalolo and grill on their parillas. The current president is a nutcase and she is more worried about gay rights than going to war.

Nicaragua and most of the Central American nations can barely deal with the homegrown gang problems let alone run a competent military. Russia may build a base there, but Nicaragua is China's boy toy now with the canal being built.

Cuba will hopefully let us in soon I believe. The local Cuban Americans here in Miami are already planning and getting funding in place for their new offshore business ventures.