New details on a rumor from last week, courtesy IRA Novosti (hat tip to The Argus.
According to leaks from Washington, the newspaper [Nezavisimaya Gazeta] writes, Russia has agreed to be involved in the Iraqi campaign in exchange for America recognizing the former Soviet Union as a zone of Russia's vital interests. The scheme of future arms supplies to Iraq has not yet been devised, though. Nor has it been coordinated between key departments.
Reckless though it might be, I definitely see the attraction to writing off the former Soviet space, especially after the last month or so (Yanukovich winning/stealing the election in Kiev, the whole Georgia/Abkhazia/South Ossetia mess continuing to fester with no end in sight, ditto for Moldova, the Turkmenbashi's antics, etc. etc.). Just let us keep a couple of "lily-pond" bases in the 'Stans, Vlad, and consider the place yours. Just Ukraine by itself has been a money pit for U.S. taxpayers for thirteen years now, and we have squat to show for it. By all accounts, the place is a lunatic asylum (think Belarus with better P.R.). And if they want to steer back toward Russia anyway, why bother saving them from themselves? |