In a move sure to catch the eye of Washington, Russia’s new President Dmitri Medvedev has agreed to an arms and energy deal with Venezuelan provocateur Hugo Chavez. Medvedev believes that Russian-Venezuelan cooperation is “essential for regional security” in Latin America. Chavez says he’s thrilled with this “strategic alliance” between the two countries.
Isn’t Medvedev supposed to be more liberally minded than his ex-KGB predecessor? Not in this respect, anyway. Selling arms to Chavez can’t be a very good way for Russia to improve its relations with the US, even if Bush is on his way out.
