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Washington Casts Doubt on Russian Navy's Abilities
Commenting on plans for Russian-Venezuelan naval exercises, U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack quipped that “they found a few ships that can make it that far,” the Associated Press reports. The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed plans for the exercises in the Atlantic Ocean on Monday.
The Western media are tying the exercises to recent events in the Caucasus. That perception was aided by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s statement that the presence of U.S. warships in the Black Sea would not go without response by Russia.
However, official Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrey Nesterenko emphasized that the exercises are “a planned event not connected with the current political conditions in the Caucasus.” The official goal of the exercises is to strengthen relations between the two countries. The maneuvers will be the first of their kind for the two countries. They will include joint search and rescue and communications training.
www.kommersant.com
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