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There was a lot of saber rattling in Russia–and about Russia–this week.
On Monday, a top Russian general warned that Poland and the Czech Republic could be targeted by Russian missiles if they agree to Washington’s plan to put 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar site in the Czech Republic. Also on Monday, First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said Russia would boost its arms sales to $7.5 billion in 2007. That would be a record, and up from $6.4 billion in 2006. According to Reuters, Russia’s traditional arms buyers–China and India–are giving way to sales in the rest of Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. Meanwhile, the American neoconservative commentator Charles Krauthammer was slamming Putin’s speech of last week in a column entitled “The Thug Who Runs Russia”. By Thursday, a Russian airline official was being quoted as saying that talks on deal for Aeroflot to buy 22 Boeing 787s are on hold.
Other things were rattling, too. Six people were injured by a bomb that went off in a McDonald’s restaurant in St. Petersburg on Sunday evening. On Thursday, Russia confirmed an outbreak of the H5N1 bird flu at three farms near Moscow and in the southern region of Krasnodar. There have been no human cases of bird flu in Russia.
It wasn’t all bad news. Russia said it would slow work on a nearly completed nuclear power plant in Iran. It seems the ayatollahs are behind on the $25 million-a-month payments. And senior Russian and U.S. security officials called for greater cooperation in the fight against terrorism and strengthening non-proliferation efforts.
In business, EMC said it will expand in Russia. The data storage company will spend $100 million over the next four years to build a research center in St. Petersburg.
Alas, there was no news in adoption this week, and no additions to the list of American agencies awaiting reaccreditation or NGO status. But Moscow Mayor Mayor Yury Luzhkov demanded city officials Tuesday go back to the drawing board for a plan to make the city more accessible to the disabled. According to The Moscow Times, 70% percent of all buildings in Moscow are not now handicapped accessible.
And if you want to see more of what Russians do to celebrate the onset of Lent, the St. Petersburg Times has a photo of the burning of an effigy of “Lady Maslenitsa”.
