Russia Running a New Arms Race
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RUSSIA RUNNING A NEW ARMS RACE
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[edit] DEMAND
Despite increasing demand for arms last year, Russian President Dimitry Medvedev desires to expand his nation’s world market share in weapon sales before worldwide financial instability diminishes that possibility. Russia sells arms to two main purchasers: India and China. Coincidently, the incumbent leading arms-exporting nation, the United States (U.S.), may experience slight shifts in relative power, or relative advantage, to these same Russian customers. (Levy, 2009).
[edit] TRADE
Russia set a post-Soviet record for arms sales in 2008— $8.35 billion, a 10% increase from the prior year (Levy, 2009), and predicts future growth in sales to Syria and Iran (Kralev, 2008). Debt obligations for arms purchases include $3 billion from Syria, for which Russia forgave $10 billion in debt owed to the former USSR in consideration of a commitment for a new $2 billion purchase order. (Kralev, 2008).
[edit] ECONOMIC POSITIONING
As a result, Russia may be able to expand its role as an arms-exporting nation and seek to monopolize arms sales by controlling distribution, whether to its allies or directly to the enemies of its competition. If global power shifts to Russia or its allies, and/or away from the U.S., Russia’s ability to increase availability of investment capital to supersede in Research & Development, and update its technology, may enable it to restore success to its current, damaged, post-Soviet economy—the new Iron Curtain.
[edit] FUTURE AND STRATEGY
On March 17, 2009, President Medvedev announced that the Russian army and navy would reinitiate nuclear and conventional rearmament, as well as combat readiness in 2011. This was in response to perceived NATO expansion of influence in Europe and amidst accusations of Western exploitation of nearby natural resources. (Stewart, 2009). However, Russia is depending on Western and European support for induction to the World Trade Organization- a milestone for Russia - which should stimulate the economic positioning described above. (Wallander, n.d.).
Rearmament might jeopardize such long-term foreign relationship and goals, including a history of treaties and peace talks to create “nuclear strategic stability”. (Wallander, n.d.). In the alternative, Russia may be able to control or at least influence distribution of power (or arms) to minimize the base of other superpower countries. In fact, Russia is comparing the advantages and disadvantages of planting strategic bombers hugging the southern border of its Western competition- with Cuba and Venezuela as primary candidates for temporary, if not permanent military bases. (Boian, 2009).
[edit] WORKS CITED
Boian, Christopher. (2009, March 14). Russia weighs Cuba, Venezuela bases: report. Yahoo News. Retrieved on March 23, 2009, from [[1]]
Kralev, Nicholas. (2008, September 10). Russia Urged to Halt Arms to Iran, Syria; Moscow Irked by Tel Aviv’s Georgian sales. The Washington Times, p. 1. Retrieved on March 23, 2009, by LexisNexis Academic. [[2]]
Levy, Clifford J. (2009, February 11). Russia: Record Arms Sales in 2008. The New York Times on the Web. Retreived on March 24, 3009, by LexisNexis Academic. [[3]]
Stewart, Will. (2009, March 18). Russia Vows to Rebuild Its Nuclear Arms Stock (Just as Brown Says He Wants to Reduce Ours). Daily Mail (London). Retrieved on March 23, 2009, by LexisNexis Academic. [[4]]
Wallander, Celeste A. (n.d.). Russia’s Strategic Priorities. Retrieved March 23, 2009, from [[5]]
