Today in Moscow, Russian leaders went and had themselves an old-fashioned Communist Bloc party:
Nuclear missiles and tanks paraded Friday across Red Square for the first time since the Soviet era but new President Dmitry Medvedev warned other nations against “irresponsible ambitions” that he said could start wars.
Marching bands and 8,000 troops goose-stepped across the square, followed by a huge display of heavy weapons including Topol-M ballistic missiles and T-90 tanks, and a fly-by of warplanes.
Reviewing his first parade as commander in chief, Medvedev warned against “irresponsible ambitions” that he said could spark war across entire continents.
In an apparent attack on US foreign policy and Western backing for Kosovo’s independence, Medvedev also criticised “intentions to intrude in the affairs of other states and especially redraw borders.”
Alongside the new president was his mentor and now prime minister, Vladimir Putin, standing under bright sunshine in a tribune in front of Lenin’s Mausoleum, the Soviet holy of holies that was screened off by a giant hoarding inscribed with May 9, 1945.
The show of strength on the 63rd anniversary of victory against Nazi Germany symbolised Moscow’s growing boldness following eight years of rule by Putin, whose hawkish policies have set Russia at loggerheads with Western capitals.
Medvedev, who was inaugurated Wednesday, is a close ally of Putin and had been his aide for much of the last two decades.
Many analysts believe that Medvedev, 42, will be a weak president reliant on the support of Putin, 55, who on Thursday became prime minister.
Other observers say the untested Medvedev will grow into the presidency, which carries huge powers in Russia — as symbolised by the Red Square parade.
Earlier Putin said the parade was not “sabre-rattling” but “a demonstration of our growing defence capability.”
The commemoration came after Washington on Thursday said Moscow had expelled two of its diplomats.
Sounds like a blast, doesn’t it? Nothin’ like dusting off the nukes (for the first time since “Soviet” was still in the country’s name) and firing up a big, scary military parade to get the old national pride flowing. No international political messge in that. None whatsoever.
Feeewhoooo……Good thing we are all warm and cozy friends now. Ever since Communism was defeated and universally agreed upon to be a bad thing. If that wasnt the case I would be a bit worried, at what kind of looks like sabre rattling.
All this time I just thought they would join forces with China and the Middle East and destroy us economically with their vast oil supplies. You know….kind of what we did to them in Afganistan in the ’80s. What goes around…….