Russia

June 26, 2007 -- [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – United States Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) sent a letter to the President late yesterday, urging him to confront Russian President, Vladimir Putin, about Russian arms sales to the government of Sudan when Putin visits Bush in Maine on July 1st. Russia, a permanent member of the UN Security Council is transferring arms to the Sudanese government in violation of the UN arms embargo currently in place. Joining Durbin in sending this bipartisan letter to the White House were Senators Brownback, Feingold and Smith.    » read more »

25 June 2007 -- Russia's state-controlled gas monopoly and the Italian energy company, ENI, recently announced plans for a new pipeline under the Black Sea to Bulgaria and on to Italy. The multi-billion-dollar project will further extend Gazprom's reach into western European markets.    » read more »

19 June 2007 -- A Russian newspaper says Russia has begun delivering fighter jets to Syria as part of $1 billion contract, but the Russian arms trading monopoly has denied the report.

The business daily Kommersant Tuesday said the delivery of five Russian MiG-31E interceptor jets to Syria has started, and that Russia also plans to supply an unspecified number of MiG-29M fighters.    » read more »

June 11, 2007 -- Mr. John Lipsky, First Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), made the following statement on June 9, 2007 after his participation at the XI International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg:    » read more »

Top CEOs from the World Economic Forum member companies meet with President Putin and First Deputy Prime Ministers Ivanov and Medvedev in St. Petersburg

St Petersburg, Russia, 10 June 2007 - Over 150 international CEOs from the World Economic Forum member companies met for an off the record discussion with Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation at the exclusive World Economic Forum Russia CEO Roundtable which was held in partnership with the XIth St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.    » read more »

14 June 2007 -- NATO nations have accepted the controversial U.S. missile defense system, and decided to focus the alliances' own missile defense efforts on protecting its southern flank against short and medium-range missiles from the Middle East. The moves come amid continuing Russian criticism of the U.S. program, and concern in the Czech Republic about hosting a radar for the system that would further antagonize Russia. VOA's Al Pessin reports from Brussels, where NATO defense ministers are meeting.    » read more »

07 June 2007 -- The U.S. says its proposal to base ballistic missile defense systems in eastern Europe is designed to deter what U.S. officials label as "rogue states," particularly Iran. As VOA correspondent Gary Thomas reports, Western analysts believe Iran's missile program is still far from posing any threat to Europe or the United States.

Iranian National Security Council Chairman Ali Larijani labeled the U.S. assertion that the proposed missile shield is aimed at Iran as a "joke" because, he said, Iranian missiles cannot reach Europe.    » read more »

Statement by David Wright, Union of Concerned Scientists

WASHINGTON (June 6, 2007) – In the days running up to the G-8 Summit in Germany this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin has been denouncing U.S. plans to build a missile defense system in Central Europe. According to the top U.S. science-based nonprofit advocacy organization, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), President Putin has nothing to worry about. The system won't work.

Below is a statement by Dr. David Wright, a physicist and co-director of UCS's Global Security Program:    » read more »

05 June 2007 -- Leaders of the G8 group of major industrial nations are gathering in Germany's Baltic Sea resort of Heiligendamm for three days of discussions to include climate change, economic issues and debt relief for Africa. But differences were evident before the summit began and security was extremely tight to keep protesters away from the meeting site, as VOA's Sonja Pace reports from Heiligendamm.    » read more »

07 June 2007 -- U.S. President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet Thursday in Germany amid renewed tensions between the two sides.

The presidents will hold talks on the sidelines of the Group of Eight summit at the German Baltic Sea port of Heiligendamm.

Mr. Putin is angry at U.S. plans to install a missile defense system in Europe, calling it a threat to Russian security, and he vowed to aim his nation's missiles at the region if the system is built.    » read more »

PARIS, June 5, 2007 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today that he and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice “are both puzzled by what the Russians are doing” in response to U.S. plans to build missile defense sites in Eastern Europe.

Speaking at a joint news conference with French Defense Minister Herve Morin, Gates said the two leaders had discussed the issue, including “some of the public statements coming out of Russia recently, especially by President (Vladimir) Putin.”    » read more »

WASHINGTON, June 5, 2007 – The U.S. missile defense initiative in Europe is not aimed at Russia, but against the possibility of rogue states seeking to blackmail the West, President Bush said today during a news conference in Prague, Czech Republic.

Czech President Vaclav Klaus hosted the news conference after meetings in Rathmayer Hall in Prague Castle.    » read more »

Presidential adviser says two leaders will meet during G8 summit and in Maine

04 June 2007 -- Washington – President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet on the margins of the Group of Eight (G8) leaders’ meeting and discuss the proposed U.S. missile defense system in Europe, U.S. National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley said June 4.    » read more »

04 June 2007 -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel is set Wednesday to host the annual summit of the G8 leading industrial democracies plus Russia. VOA's Barry Wood reports a recent sharp deterioration in western relations with Moscow is casting a chill over the meeting that will take place at a Baltic Sea resort in eastern Germany.    » read more »

04 June 2007 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin says his country will aim its rockets at European targets if the United States goes ahead with plans to build a missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic.

In an interview before his trip to the Group of Eight summit this week in Germany, Mr. Putin says Russia is not responsible for what he calls the "new arms race [that] is undoubtedly brewing in Europe." He brushed aside assurances that U.S. interceptor missiles will not be aimed at or intended to threaten Russia.    » read more »