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Print Edition> World
UPDATED: December 6, 2008 NO. 50 DEC. 11, 2008
Two Can Play That Game
Russia returns to Latin America to counter U.S. military and diplomatic moves
By YANG CHUANG
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  TEAMING UP: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (right) and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (left) inspect the Russian frigate Admiral Chabanenko on November 27 in Caracas (XINHUA/AFP)

When Russian President Dmitry Medvedev came to power in March, Western media called him a "liberal," someone with whom the West could do business. But since then, Medvedev has taken tough stances similar to those of his predecessor, Vladimir Putin. Both men have stressed that Russia needs to reassert its influence in Latin America and in other regions around the world.

Hard stance

On August 8, Russia dispatched troops to the breakaway province of South Ossetia in Georgia, setting off a five-day war. Russia then recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another breakaway province, and established diplomatic relations with them. In September, Russia flew two strategic bombers to Venezuela for military exercises, making a show of power at America's doorstep. On November 25, four Russian warships arrived in Venezuela for a joint military exercise. Medvedev was also in Venezuela that week as part of a four-country Latin American tour.

These moves echo the five principles guiding the Russian foreign policy, which Medvedev laid out in a speech on August 31: recognizing the primacy of international law; promoting a multi-polar world; maintaining friendly relations with Europe, the United States and other countries; protecting the lives and interests of Russian citizens "wherever they are;" and paying special attention to "priority regions," which may or may not border Russia. These principles informed Russia's decision to return to the strategic regions caught in the middle when the United States and the Soviet Union battled for global supremacy.

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