MOSCOW—Russia has withdrawn key defense advisers from Venezuela, an embarrassment for President Nicolás Maduro as Moscow weighs the leader’s political and economic resilience against growing U.S. pressure. Russian state defense contractor Rostec, which has trained Venezuelan troops and advised on securing arms contracts, has cut its staff in Venezuela to just a few dozen, from about 1,000 at the height of cooperation between Moscow and Caracas several years ago, said a person close to the Russian defense ministry. The gradual pullout, which has escalated over the last several months, according to people familiar with the situation, is due to a lack of new contracts and the acceptance that Mr. Maduro’s regime no longer has the cash to continue to pay for other Rostec services associated with past contracts.
Do I detect Trump at work?No doubt about it.
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From 2014-2015...
How Russia arms America's southern neighbors
Ioan Grillo
May 9, 2014
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- Russia's push into Ukraine has put many on edge. But less known is that Russia is also strengthening its military links south of the Rio Grande and re-establishing itself as a power in the region.
Vladimir Putin has been strengthening military links here, and Russia is now the largest arms dealer to governments in Latin America, surpassing the United States.
Russia has even floated the possibility of building new military bases in Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, and putting its warships permanently in the Caribbean.
In the midst of the Ukraine crisis, Russia's top diplomat Sergei Lavrov recently visited Cuba, Peru, Chile, and Nicaragua, where he announced that Russia would also pour money into the new Central American canal project. ..."
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/140508/russian-arms-military-trade-latin-america
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Russia Boosts Arms, Training for Leftist Latin Militaries
Moscow defense minister inks deals with Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua for joint exercises BY: Bill Gertz
February 20, 2015
Russia agreed to provide military training for three leftist regimes in Latin America and increase military visits and exercises following a visit last week to the region by Moscow's Defense Minister Sergei Shoygu, Pentagon officials said.
Shoygu met with defense and military leaders in Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua and signed several agreements on warship visits and military training during the visit, which ran from Feb. 11 to 14. It is not clear whether any new arms deals were completed during the visit.
Defense officials said the Russian leader is seeking bases in the region for strategic bomber flights that Shoygu recently promised would include flights over the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean.
http://freebeacon.com/national-security/russia-boosts-arms-training-for-leftist-latin-militaries/
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KGB Putin very much wants a 'unified Korea'...under communist NK rule...
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Russia and North Korea declare 2015 a ‘year of friendship’
“The biggest cause for concern is the growing military alliance between Russia and North Korea, with the two regimes recently announcing plans to conduct a
series of joint army, navy and air force exercises this year.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/11463265/Russia-and-North-Korea-declare-2015-a-year-of-friendship.html
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Russia steps up North Korea support to constrain US
May 17, 2017
“Despite efforts by the United Nations to impose isolating sanctions on North Korea in response to the country’s continued development of nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles, trade between Russia and North Korea soared more than 85 percent in the first four months of the year.”
http://www.dw.com/en/russia-steps-up-north-korea-support-to-constrain-us/a-38867861
On the Russia-ChiCom front...
Obama: "We Welcome China's Rise"
CBS News ^ | January 19, 2011 | Stephanie Condon ______________________________________________________________
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From the Sino-Russian Joint Statement of April 23, 1997:
"The two sides [China and Russia] shall, in the spirit of partnership, strive to promote the multipolarization of the world and the establishment of a new international order."
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Central_Asia/HI29Ag01.html
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"Joint war games are a logical outcome of the Sino-Russian Friendship and Cooperation Treaty signed in 2001, and reflect the shared worldview and growing economic ties between the two Eastern Hemisphere giants."
http://www.heritage.org/research/commentary/2005/09/war-games-russia-china-grow-alliance
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Obama, from the 2008 campaign trail...
"I will not weaponize space"
"I will cut investments in unproven missile defense systems"
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Pentagon says China, Russia developing satellite-killing lasers
FoxNews.com ^ | Feb 13, 2019 | PCmag China and Russia are likely building high-powered lasers that can shoot down US satellites, according to a new Pentagon report.
Both countries are developing an arsenal of anti-satellite weaponry including missiles, cyber attacks, and "directed energy weapons," according to the US Defense Intelligence Agency.
On Monday, the agency released an unclassified report on the security threat to the US's dominance in space.
It calls out both China and Russia as two countries with the technological prowess to take down US communication and navigational satellites, which could cause mayhem for businesses and the military.
The threat may sound far-fetched. But not to the Pentagon; the agency's report lays out all the different ways Beijing and Moscow could attack US satellites in order to win future wars.
China, for instance, is attempting to become a "space power" that's focused on exploration and defense, according to the DIA.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
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China, Russia Building Super-EMP Bombs for ‘Blackout Warfare’
Report reveals electromagnetic war scenariosBY: Bill Gertz
January 24, 2019
Several nations, including China and Russia, are building powerful nuclear bombs designed to produce super-electromagnetic pulse (EMP) waves capable of devastating all electronics—from computers to electric grids—for hundreds of miles, according to a newly-released congressional study.
A report by the now-defunct Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from EMP Attack, for the first time reveals details on how nuclear EMP weapons are integrated into the military doctrines of China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran.
The report discloses how those states could use EMP attacks in theaters of battle in the Middle East, Far East, Europe, and North America.
“Nuclear EMP attack is part of the military doctrines, plans, and exercises of Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran for a revolutionary new way of warfare against military forces and civilian critical infrastructures by cyber, sabotage, and EMP,” the report states. ...”
https://freebeacon.com/national-security/china-russia-building-super-emp-bombs-for-blackout-warfare/
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NEWLY ADDED!! (May 15, 2019)
From 2018
Senior Chinese General in Russia for SCO Peace Mission 2018 Counterterror Exercises
Li Zuocheng, the chief of the Chinese Central Military Commission’s Joint Staff Department, is in RussiaBy Ankit Panda
August 29, 2018
General Li Zuocheng of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is in Russia this week on a visit to coincide with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s (SCO) Peace Mission 2018 counterterrorism exercise.
The visit was confirmed by Senior Colonel Ren Guoqiang, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, last week. Li is a member of China’s powerful Central Military Commission (CMC) and chief of the Joint Staff Department of the CMC.
Li’s visit to China comes at the invitation of General Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces and the first Deputy Defense Minister of Russia.
The SCO’s Peace Mission 2018 drills are taking place at the Chebarkul training grounds in Russia’s Chelyabinsk region, according to TASS. The exercise will coincide with the fifth-ever meeting of the joint chiefs of staff of the militaries of SCO member states.
Formed in 2001 as a successor to the Shanghai Five group, the SCO has eight full member states: China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, and Pakistan. The SCO member states have a range of mechanisms to cooperate on counterterrorism in Eurasia. ..."
“The troops that take part in the exercises have completed redeployment and force concentration at the Chebarkul training ground, set up a camp site, serviced weaponry and military hardware and conducted several joint command-and-control trainings, including with live firing and the use of aviation and artillery,” the press service of Russia’s Central Military District said.
This year’s exercise will be the first SCO counterterrorism drill to include troops from India and Pakistan, both of whom became full members of the SCO in June 2017.
Li’s visit to Russia also comes ahead of Moscow’s largest post-Cold War military exercise, which will also include troops from the PLA and the Mongolian military. 3,200 PLA troops will participate in the war games, known as Vostok. The Vostok exercise will begin on September 11 in eastern Russia. ...”
https://thediplomat.com/2018/08/senior-chinese-general-in-russia-for-sco-peace-mission-2018-counterterror-exercises/
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Also from 2018: “Vostok” (east) wargames (Russia/China)
Russia and China’s Growing Military Interaction; Surprised?
Why does Russia place such emphasis and media attention on incredibly large military exercises with China?by Peter Zwack
September 9, 2018
The drums are already rolling for the upcoming Russian “Vostok” (east) wargames commencing on September 11.
With its focal point in the Trans-Baikal region of eastern Siberia adjoining Chinese Manchuria and Mongolia, this is a nationwide Russian military and societal event.
Touted by Russian minister of defense Sergei Shoigu as “unprecedented in scale, both in terms of area of operations and numbers of military command structure, troops, and forces involved,” Russian state press is declaring that up to three hundred thousand troops and one thousand aircraft will be involved, with the majority from the Eastern and Central Military Districts.
This would be even larger than the near-legendary Zapad-81 maneuvers held in the western USSR during the depths of the Cold War. ...”
One important wrinkle this year is that reportedly up to 3,200 Chinese personal with ninety vehicles, including tanks and thirty fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, will participate.
Most are coming from China’s Northern Command.
This will be the first time the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) will take part in this formerly purely Russian quadrennial Asia-oriented exercise.
The bulk of participating Chinese personal have already transited from Manchuria into Russia, escorted by Russian military police to the Tsugol training range near Chita. The Mongolians have also sent a small contingent. ...”
Same 2018 article...
“The Russia-China military relationship continues to evolve and is a logical progression following deepening political and economic ties.
Pragmaticallym the Amur-Ussuri territorial disputes were diplomatically resolved in 2004–5, enabling enhanced military cooperation though long-term generational issues remain.
While Chinese-Russian military activities have in the past been mostly symbolic and representational, they appear increasingly interactive.
The PLA, not blooded since its brusque 1979 defeat by Vietnam, likely hopes to learn from Russia’s newly gained fighting expertise derived since 2014 in eastern Ukraine and Syria.
What is key to determine is if their interaction evolves more ominously into interoperability exercises where substantial and varied forces can operate in tandem and jointly in coordinated operations.
Dating back to 2005, Russia and China have exercised modest forces together in a mostly “counterterrorist” role in Central Asia and in Russia as part of the Chinese-driven Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
Notably, SCO Exercise Peace Mission 2018, involving China, Russia and six other nations, including newly added India and Pakistan, is currently underway in Chelyabinsk (just east of the Ural Mountains).
Bilaterally, they have participated in several small scale naval exercises in the Baltics (2017), South China Sea (2016) and eastern Mediterranean (2015), where they have been mostly “show the flag” operations designed more to convey sharp signals abroad and show partner support. ...”
https://nationalinterest.org/feature/russia-and-china%E2%80%99s-growing-military-interaction-surprised-30822