http://cnn.aimtoday.cnn.com/news/story.jsp...20041116MOSB104

Putin: ``I am sure that ... they will be put in service within the next few years and, what is more, they will be developments of the kind that other nuclear powers do not and will not have,''

"a senior Defense Ministry official was quoted as telling news agencies that Russia had developed a weapon that could make the United States' proposed missile-defense system useless. "

 

I don't think that Russia is the threat that it used to be - Russia and the US just maintain some of their cold war footing out of prudence. Putin seems to be leaning towards the west and cooperating with us on a number of issues. Typically it's better to look at the actions of countries rather than the rhetoric. Russia has a stake in the same war on terror that we're fighting as both Islamist movements seem to be getting funding from the same sources. Russia just put a military base in Tajikistan which borders on Afghanistan and Pakistan - Pakistan's mountainous area is where Al Qaeda's leadership cell is rumored to be located. Also, there have been talks of Russia sending some troops to Iraq.

In the long run China is probably a bigger threat than Russia.

-s

 

I belive that bigest threat for stability in the world comes from somewhere else .

 

The oval office!

 

Russia's threat comes from China, Pakistan Georgia (although Georgia isn't officiallu a nuclear, insurgents may have access to nukes) and Iran. Russia is not threatened by the US.

However, being able to penetrate our nation's defense does tend to change our position with respect to agression towards the Ruskies.

How will we react to THOSE WMD?

 

Next to the UK Russia is the US's greatest ally.

 

I think North Korea is the gravest threat now, and it is only a matter of time before they fall from within...good, but it means a risk of their nukes slipping out.

We really let our guard down through the 1990s and just let this stuff happen through weak foreign policy. It's easy to have friends when you lay down and take anything. It is times of need where you find out your true friends. It's true for people and international relations. The UK is our strongest ally and Russia is in the top as well. Putin supports us strongly. Many overlook it, but so does well over half of Europe.

 

Sorry Russian, but I strongly disagree. Australia has stood with us consistantly through the toughest of times and has never conducted back door business deals that threatened our nation's security like Russia did with Iraq. In my opinion, Russia is second only to France on the list of nations to NEVER trust. And now, Russia is waving their new nuclear capability in our face.