A little old but... Russian-US Relations

[Farnan]

http://en.rian.ru/mlitary_news/20120630/174325827.html

The Russian Navy is currently taking place in the biannual RIMPAC exercise which is led by the US. This is the first time in history that this has happened.

Is this part of the quiet movement of reconicilliation and cooperation since the end of the Georgia War? First we had the VE-Day invitation in 2010 which included US soldiers for the first time in Red Square, the revelation of Russian agents taking part in anti-Taliban raids in Afghanistan, and the Russian agreements to allow equipment to be shipped through their territory for use in Afghanistan.

[hellheaven1987]

The answer is why not? Afterall it benefit Russia more than US in the end.

[s.rwitt]

I was surprised when part of my battalion flew over Russia on the way home from Afghanistan last year. I suspect there's quite a bit of cooperation in various areas we don't know about.

[Farnan]

By the way this is not just a case of the Russian ships floating around in the same area, but very active cooperation including boardining exercises and training on supporting an amphibious assault.

http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_07_19/Ru...PAC-war-games/
http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_07_25/Ru...ac-2012-drill/

[AqD]

Fleet against Taliban? Or are they preparing to attack China?

[HissingNewt]

Fleet against Taliban? Or are they preparing to attack China?

Or they're just a good way to improve relations with another nation while having the military learn something.

[hellheaven1987]

Or they're just a good way to improve relations with another nation while having the military learn something.

Good way to learn how to fight Japanese in a possible war when Japan attacks Kuril Islands.

[SLN445]

The cold war is over, no point in being opponents of the former superpower.

[hellheaven1987]

The cold war is over, no point in being opponents of the former superpower.

Especially when you can use West to fight China; all you need to do is simply flaming behind the scenes, like most TWC trolls.

[AqD]

The cold war is over, no point in being opponents of the former superpower.

And no point to have several huge fleets at all.

[Condottiere 40K]

Compartmentalization - you find them annoying, but you can't imagine living without them, so you cooperate on issues of mutual interest, and grit your teeth as they kick the puppy while all you can do is make a complaint to the RSPCA.

[Morbius Sire]

I assumed this day would come, however I never thought it would be this soon.

I wonder if Russia would become more 'friendly' in its relations with Europe and US.

[Heinz Guderian]

Will the Russians get to look at American tech and tactics up close? If so, good decision by the Russians.

I'm sure the senior Russian officers in their 50s will remember the help the US extended them in their fight against terrorists in the 1980s Afghanistan when they and their friends were deployed there as junior officers.

[Heathen Hammer]

Will the Russians get to look at American tech and tactics up close? If so, good decision by the Russians.

I'm sure the senior Russian officers in their 50s will remember the help the US extended them in their fight against terrorists in the 1980s Afghanistan when they and their friends were deployed there as junior officers.

I'm sure those officers are very happy with Putin right now.

[King Gambrinus]

This is weird considering the two powers are at odds in Syria.

[hellheaven1987]

This is weird considering the two powers are at odds in Syria.

Not really, since Russia's chief enemy is still China; Russia, for years, is fear Chinese would extend their influence in Far East and Central Asia, which Russia lacks military bases to launch a serious defence in those regions. Cooperate with US in those regions would give Russia a good shield between it and China, and in the same time able to flame both parities so no attention would be put on it.

[Condottiere 40K]

And while everyone is distracted, the Mongols seize Central Asia and recreate the Khanate.

[King Gambrinus]

Not really, since Russia's chief enemy is still China; Russia, for years, is fear Chinese would extend their influence in Far East and Central Asia, which Russia lacks military bases to launch a serious defence in those regions. Cooperate with US in those regions would give Russia a good shield between it and China, and in the same time able to flame both parities so no attention would be put on it.

But don't you think it's strange the West is arming the opposition while the Russians are arming Assad? As I said in the Syria thread, it's like a return to the Cold War. Surely Russia should just stop arming the doomed Assad regime and try to broker a deal with the West over their docks in Syria instead of creating even more tension between the two powers...

And while everyone is distracted, the Mongols seize Central Asia and recreate the Khanate.

Mongolia must be wishing Genghis Khan was still around with those two powers harrassing their borders..

[spanish_emperor]

But don't you think it's strange the West is arming the opposition while the Russians are arming Assad? As I said in the Syria thread, it's like a return to the Cold War. Surely Russia should just stop arming the doomed Assad regime and try to broker a deal with the West over their docks in Syria instead of creating even more tension between the two powers...

International relations is always complicated. Just because they disagree in one issue doesn't make all other issues as black and white.

By the way, the cold war never ended in the eyes of the U.S.; they simply devised a more predominantly soft power strategy that attacks Russian interests indirectly by filling the power vacuum it left with the disappearance of the Soviet Union. The Russians, until Putin came along, tried to befriend the U.S. and open up to the west which they took advantage off and frightened the Russians into reverting back to their distrustful position of the U.S. The Russian confrontation on the Syrian events is simply the culmination of a series of events that have infuriated the Russian government because it threatens its influence in the region.
Iran, while not an 'ally' of Russia, is an important counterweight against the U.S. and without an anti U.S. government in Tehran the Russians would surely be unable to hold to their remaining influence in the middle east. This could lead to the 'fall' of Armenia and the gateway to increasing U.S. influence in the Caucasus and the 'Stan countries that could lead to more "independence" and "pro-democracy" movements in the border itself, especially Chechnya.

Interestingly, Russia seem to be already preparing for a possible collapse of the Assad regime and their loss of their valuable military port. They are already looking for other possible candidates to replace it but because of the lack of pro-Russian governments in the world and the immense pressure from the U.S. they are having to have to look to Cuba and Venezuela. Certainly anywhere in the Mediterranean is impossible.

[King Gambrinus]

International relations is always complicated. Just because they disagree in one issue doesn't make all other issues as black and white.

By the way, the cold war never ended in the eyes of the U.S.; they simply devised a more predominantly soft power strategy that attacks Russian interests indirectly by filling the power vacuum it left with the disappearance of the Soviet Union. The Russians, until Putin came along, tried to befriend the U.S. and open up to the west which they took advantage off and frightened the Russians into reverting back to their distrustful position of the U.S. The Russian confrontation on the Syrian events is simply the culmination of a series of events that have infuriated the Russian government because it threatens its influence in the region.
Iran, while not an 'ally' of Russia, is an important counterweight against the U.S. and without an anti U.S. government in Tehran the Russians would surely be unable to hold to their remaining influence in the middle east. This could lead to the 'fall' of Armenia and the gateway to increasing U.S. influence in the Caucasus and the 'Stan countries that could lead to more "independence" and "pro-democracy" movements in the border itself, especially Chechnya.

Interestingly, Russia seem to be already preparing for a possible collapse of the Assad regime and their loss of their valuable military port. They are already looking for other possible candidates to replace it but because of the lack of pro-Russian governments in the world and the immense pressure from the U.S. they are having to have to look to Cuba and Venezuela. Certainly anywhere in the Mediterranean is impossible.

Shouldn't Russia just give up for the time being? They seem to be flogging dead horses by trying to befriend doomed dictators, and rather ironically, pseudo-Communist regimes like their former selves. They should focus more on their oil and gas interests (makes Venezuela an understandable target), which is why I'm surprised they let Gaddafi go yet seem to cling on to Assad, who has far less chances of winning his Civil War than Gaddafi did and holds no economic interest apart from the port you suggested. The Middle East is surely lost for Russia?

Of course, it could well backfire on the US too. The jury is still out on whether the Arab Spring was beneficial or not to them. Losing Mubarak certainly wasn't part of the plan...