Russia lifts embargo on weapons supplies to Pakistan

[kashif_Qaimi]

It was just a other side of coin, Main agenda of Russia would be the same as briefed in blog.

 

[Tshering22]

Russia has just announced a hugely strategic decision that may alter the regional power matrix and bug India at a time when the just-installed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was looking to deepen ties with Moscow.

Sergey Chemezov, head of Russian state-run technologies corporation Rostec, announced on Monday that Russia has lifted an embargo on supplying weapons and military hardware to Pakistan. He also said that Moscow is negotiating the delivery of several Mi-25 helicopter gunships to Islamabad. "The decision was taken and we are negotiating the delivery of helicopters," the Voice of Russia quoted Chemezov as saying.

Why this move and why now?
The Russian decision is indicative of a paradigm shift in Russian foreign policy, a kind of move which one sees once in several decades.

Naturally, when a state takes such a decision it must not be without considering the pros and cons of the matter, the strategic takeaways and the possible pitfalls.

Two compelling reasons for the Russian move may well be Afghanistan and the Russia-West spat over Ukraine.

Like India and China, Russia too is waiting with bated breath the post-2014 Afghanistan as American/NATO are scheduled to pull out most of their troops from the land-locked country by this year end. The Taliban is in a resurgent mode. Everybody knows that during the Taliban rule (1996-2001), Afghanistan had become the most productive and flourishing factory of jihad in the world. Therefore, the withdrawal of American/NATO troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014 may well turn the country into a tinder box again.

While Russia would definitely not like this scenario, it can hardly change the situation and counter the new situation with a Plan B. Pakistan’s importance would increase enormously in the post-2014 situation in Afghanistan.

Improving relations with Pakistan would give an important leverage to Russia in the post-2014 Afghanistan. If Russia and China do not want the loose canons of the Taliban to unleash themselves at them, then it is Pakistan and no one else that can make it happen.

The Russian move may be far shrewder than one can think. It may well be indicative of a China-Russia-Pakistan (CRP) axis, largely because of flawed policies of the Obama administration.

Russia and Pakistan have had a rather cold relationship, despite the latter’s sustained attempts over recent years to mend the ties. Reasons for the Russian coldness toward Pakistan are not difficult to see. It is the India factor. India clearly does not favor Russia cozying up to Pakistan and Russia could not have afforded to annoy the Indians. Why, after all, Russia should play a zero-sum game in South Asia when it is having the best of relations with India, a sworn enemy of Pakistan?

That was the argument of most Russians who opposed the very idea of needling India, the largest importer of Russian weapons. But even this defense relationship received setbacks in the past two years as Russia lost out to other competitors like Israel, the United States and Europe on several big-ticket Indian defense deals.

The India angle
Let me begin the India angle in this context with two seemingly contradictory statements.

One, the Russian decision of lifting its embargo on weapons supplies to Pakistan is a huge setback to India. Two, India and Russia will continue to do business together as both need each other immensely.

It is highly unlikely that the Russian move would have come as a complete surprise to the Indians. New Delhi has been aware of formal consultations between Russia and Pakistan in the trilateral format on Afghanistan – the third country being China.

It is quite possible that Moscow may have taken the Indians into its confidence on its upcoming policy change and put forth its strategic compulsions.

Russia and India are working very closely in the Afghan theater and have embarked on a novel understanding wherein India pays for Russian arms supplied by Russia to Afghanistan for boosting Afghan armed forces’ capabilities. Is there a possibility that the Russians have taken a sort of ‘no-objection certificate’ from the Indians for their unprecedented outreach to Pakistan?

One cannot rule out anything. Games such as these are often played on the strategic chessboards. What can be a bigger strategic chessboard than Afghanistan where all the top powers of the world are directly involved?

Moreover, one should not expect an official statement from either Moscow or New Delhi on this issue. Games such as these are often played in the back alleys, far from the media glare.

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.

You are clearly taking this way over your head man. Supplying you with gunships to tackle taliban is not something we are going to oppose. Besides wht should we oppose? We buy stuff from EU and USA too and are expanding defence cooperation with Japan and Korea.

Russia is free to see weapons to you as kong as they are not Class 1 weapons: aka weapons that harm us directly like tanks, APCs, fighter jets, cruise missles and other critical technologies.

You must though be able to pay up though. Russians don't give charity the way Americans did.

Those Hind gunships don't come in cheap.

 

[Pinnacle]

Very Good news. Its a Lethal machine. @Irfan Baloch Sir, do russians have hellfire equivalent missile? it yes then can that missile be mounted on this beast? and How many missiles it can carry as Apache and Mi-28 can carry upto 16 anti tank missiles.

 

[That Guy]

There is a DIFFERENCE b/w LETHAL & NON-LETHAL military sales.

Attack helis obviously fall into lethal, and that is exactly what Pakistan and Russia are negotiating on.

More than likely, the sale will probably be a stopgap for Pakistan, until it has a better option in the future.

 

[lightoftruth]

Russian's donot give soft loans.

 

[khanboy007]

mi35 -8 troops , 12,000 kg max takeoff wt
mi17 -30 troops
As a combination of armoured gunship and troop transport, the Mi-24 has no direct NATO counterpart.

we already have a few (defected) Mi-24 hinds....defects of the afghan war

will they undergo some refurbishments to make them air worthy????

if im not mistaken then the mi-25 and mi-35 are in fact export variants of the original mi-24

i know its a stupid question when we are getting new ones but nonetheless just curious

 

[Pksecurity]

In a landmark development, Russia has announced on Monday that it has lifted an embargo on supplying weapons and military hardware to Pakistan. Speaking to Voice of Russia, Sergey Chemezov, head of Russian state-run technologies corporation Rostec also said that Moscow is negotiating the delivery of several Mi-25 helicopter gunships to Islamabad. Russia, a long-time ally of Pakistan's arch-rival India has clearly indicated a paradigm shift in its relations with its ally of the hard times of the Cold War.
Pakistan was in anti-Soviet Western camp during the Cold War. Pakistan also helped Afghan Mujahedeen fight Soviet invasion of 1980s leading to dismemberment of the Soviet Empire. India has been shocked at this decision as it is not a mere question of selling arms; Russia has taken a strategic decision to lift arms embargo to help Pakistan buy its military hardware.
Pakistan has historically relied on West, particularly UK, France and the USA, for supply of military hardware. Recently Pakistan diversified its sources with inclusion of China in the list of major suppliers of arms and equipment. It is understood that with the draw-down of NATO troops nearing and Afghanistan getting a new government, the powers interested in Afghanistan are enamoring Pakistan because every road to Kabul virtually passes through Islamabad.
Indian analysts are watching the development with bated breath. In his article for RT, one analyst Rajeesh Sharma believes that the Russian move may be far shrewder than one can think. It may well be indicative of a China-Russia-Pakistan (CRP) axis, largely because of flawed policies of the Obama administration.

Russia brushes aside India's concerns, announces decision to supply arms to Pakistan

 

[Angry Bird]

Good. Now India should not give a single penny to Russia. We are spending money and we can buy it from anywhere Russia should understand this.

 

[nForce]

Whats difficult about it.One who has the buying power will be able to procure weapons, with or without arms embargo enforced by a single supplier.

 

[bababhosundi]

are you high??

I wish , unfortunately I cant at work.

The Kerry-Lugar Bill did put restrictions on the flow of money that US gives to Pakistan, there are accountaility clauses in that.

 

[khanboy007]

I wish , unfortunately I cant at work.

The Kerry-Lugar Bill did put restrictions on the flow of money that US gives to Pakistan, there are accountaility clauses in that.

we can have other cash too , cash that the US does not give us

just common sense bro

 

[chhota bheem]

People are reading too much into it Pakistan will get only what India rejected.

 

[rockstar08]

Well i think its good news for both Pak and Russia , but we have to see what Russia is willing to sell and what pakistan is willing to buy , wish list in too big for Pakistan, but our pocket is just recovering but still need years to give us strength to buy anything we want , as i mention many time before army need Attack helo's very badly to counter TTP and Afghan cross border terrorism , i would prefer 30 Attack helicopters , with just attack role no transport .. i dont know which one will be best buy for PA , but we can hope for the best , At least the ice is melting between two countries , it is very sad to see indians crying all the time ..
for now may be Pakistan will buy some Attack heli but in long term it is good for our Jf-17 program , Russian can provide us more powerful engines in future , still we cant hope for many things because of US and their allies in Pakistan , US will not let Pakistan to go more close to Russia because of his own political interest in region , but few incidents in last few years puts some huge crack of US-PAk relationship walls,
what ever PA will but it should have night vision capability and also thermal view if possible , i personally believe that if this news get more heated in international media we will see some offers from any western countries very soon ...i am not sure but this is what i feel ...

this is bit off topic , but i always want Pak-Russian relationship to be better again because of their Sam's ...i wanted to see some units of S-300 in Pakistan

 

[Secret Service]

we already have a few (defected) Mi-24 hinds....defects of the afghan war

will they undergo some refurbishments to make them air worthy????

if im not mistaken then the mi-25 and mi-35 are in fact export variants of the original mi-24

i know its a stupid question when we are getting new ones but nonetheless just curious

we have only ONE of them right and it is completely out of service ...its a show piece for Quetta aviation base .

 

[The_magnificent]

It will be good for Pakistan to use on its western border against Talibs. BTW we are thinking of retiring ours. Pakistan may buy them as well. Will be cost effective solution for you guys for war against terror.