Russia reportedly decided to pull nuclear-capable jets from Venezuela following a diplomatic spat with Washington over their support for the Maduro regime, the White House confirmed on Wednesday.
This week, Russia placed two nuclear-capable Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bombers in Venezuelan territory and showed them off in the skies as a show of force for the Maduro regime.
“During the international visit of the Aerospace Defense Forces’ delegation to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, pilots of strategic bombers Tu-160 conducted a flight in the airspace over the Caribbean Sea. The flight lasted for about 10 hours,” the Russian Defense Ministry’s press service said on Wednesday.
“In certain parts of the route, the flight of Russian bombers was conducted together with Su-30 and F-16 fighter jets of the Venezuelan National Bolivarian Military Aviation,” they continued. “The pilots from the two countries practiced air cooperation when fulfilling air tasks.”
The move drew up immediate anger from the United States, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo denouncing “two corrupt governments squandering public funds, and squelching liberty and freedom while their people suffer.”
Nuclear capable and nuclear carrying are two whole different things. There are no nuclear weapons south of our border.
It was a provocation, not a basing. Venezuela will extend landing rights for Blackjacks at an island northeast of the mainland. T160’s will rotate in pairs from Russia and fly FONOPS in our backyard while ‘based’ on the island.
Putin will most likely place IRBMs in Nicaragua, Cuba or Venezuela next.
Then shit will get real.
WOW, the Russians really spanked Pompeo for his put-down, called him a (ladies cover your eyes) “Butt Boy”.
Hold the phone, it was an American TV celebrity, daughter of a former Secretary of State, who called Pompeo that on national TV.
The Russians said:
“What the US Secretary of State has tweeted is completed unacceptable, not to say unprofessional.”
(There was no immediate reaction from American grammar Nazis)
@Ow My Balls
Which if they do all of what you’ve outlined doesn’t come close to what we poke the Russians with.
Been there, done that when the Cold War wasn’t all that cold.
We have a greater risk of 7-11 taking over the suburbs with armed force than Russia doing something that will cause war.
It’s negotiation using media prop pieces. And the game is far from new.
Russia is third rate and impoverished. The only thing giving them a seat on the world stage is nukes. Take that away and they are Venezuela with an even bigger Chinese problem.