British Arms Sales To Russia Fracture Sanctions Push

[Purveyor]

ELEANOR HALL: Revelations about not just French but British arms deals with Russia are undercutting attempts by the European Union to impose economic sanctions and put pressure on Vladimir Putin.

Yesterday Britain's prime minister David Cameron called on France to scrap its delivery of two warships to Moscow.

But today there are revelations that Britain has kept export permits in place that also allow it to export arms to Russia.

Business editor Peter Ryan has the latest.

PETER RYAN: The United States and the European Union want Vladimir Putin to feel some real economic pain, enough to reconsider Moscow's support for separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine.

But so far, the tough talk is just that, and there are real questions about the west's resolve to do what it takes, amid revelations that Britain is still allowing the export of arms to Russia.

JOHN STANLEY: We were surprised by the number, we were surprised by the size of the value. It is a matter of surprise and concern.

more...

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-24/british-arms-sales-to-russia-fracture-sanctions/5621206

[Matilda]

1. More on arms sales to Russia

An opinion piece - a bit over-emotional to my eyes, appeared in the New York Times, but the final paragraphs are very disturbing:

"Under the circumstances — with Mr. Putin having not yet agreed to back off in Ukraine, much less in Crimea — how can France morally justify its plan to deliver to Russia two Mistral-class warships, now being fitted out in the western port of St.-Nazaire? Do we want them to become the crown jewels of a Russian fleet off Sebastopol and, perhaps, Odessa?

To see the European Union acting so pusillanimously is very discouraging. France wants to hold on to its arms contracts for the jobs they are supposed to save in its naval shipyards. Germany, a hub of operations for the Russian energy giant Gazprom, is petrified of losing its own strategic position. Britain, for its part, despite recent statements by Prime Minister David Cameron, may still not be ready to forgo the colossal flows of Russian oligarchs’ ill-gotten cash upon which the City, London’s financial district, has come to rely.

In European parlance, this is called the spirit of Munich — appeasement. And it is a disgrace."

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/23/opinion/putins-crime-europes-cowardice.html


Yes, countries have budgets to balance, but surely a line has to be drawn somewhere? Could any of these leaders look a bereaved person in the eye and tell them further arms sales to Russia is morally justifiable?

[amandabeech]

2. Hubris seems to be part of the make up of humans and their organizations.

Putin is a classic bully, and he will push hard to show his enemies who is the boss, until his enemies gang up on him and give him a real thrashing.

The Europeans have deluded themselves, well at least their corporations' leaders have deluded themselves, into thinking that they can control Putin with commercial ties.

Russia, under the Tsars and the Soviets, has never tried to march to the Atlantic, but it has marched to the Brandenburg gate. I'd hate to see him demolish eastern and central Europe like other cruel leaders have done.