A Paper Bear?
Russina President Vladimir Putin took a swipe at Vice-President Cheney yesterday. Cheney, you may recall, was critical of Russia's backsliding on democracy and using its oil and gas resources to promote its political agenda. According to the Sidney Morning Herald, Putin gave a speach to the Russian legislature:

Mr Putin noted in his speech that the American military budget was 25 times the size of Russia's and said the US had turned its home into a castle. "Good for them," the Russian President said, looking up from his notes, directly at his audience, "but this means we must make our own home strong and reliable. Because we see what is happening in the world. We see it."

Mr Putin said Russia had to resist foreign pressure by bolstering its army, which is currently a ragtag group of a million conscripts galvanised by special forces and nuclear weapons.

"We must always be ready to counter any attempts to pressure Russia in order to strengthen positions at our expense," he said. "The stronger our military is, the less temptation there will be to exert such pressure on us."

Some people are talking about this exchange as if it were a renewal of the Cold War. Of course, since countries with rapidly declining populations rarely make war or engage in arms races. I wouldn't take Putin too seriously.
- posted by Base10 @ 11:21 AM