Russian warships bound for Venezuela…
Chavez claims strategic alliance with Russia

Russia's nuclear powered warship, Peter the Great

According to Igor Dygalo, a spokesperson for the Russian Navy, the convoy will include “the nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser Peter the Great, the anti-submarine warship Admiral Chebanenko and other accompanying ships”.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez praised the Russia’s recent military moves and had harsh words for the United States, which he commonly refers to as “the evil empire”.

“It's a warning. Russia is with us... we are strategic allies. It is a message to the empire. Venezuela is no longer poor and alone,” he said in a public statement.

Despite Chavez’s words, Dygalo was quick to deny any antagonistic behavior by Russia toward the U.S.
“The planned naval exercises by Russia and Venezuela are not aimed at third countries and do not have an aggressive character. There is no political subtext to these exercises,” he told the Interfax news agency.  ~~Adz:Right~~

The joint naval exercises are expected to be carried out from November to December and come on the heels of two Russian Tu-160 nuclear bombers conducting flight exercises in Cuba and Venezuela in early September. 

The Russian warships’ presence in waters not visited since the Cold War also comes at a time when U.S.-Russia relations are rapidly dissipating.

Commenting on the recent Russia-Georgia skirmish and the nuclear bombers’ presence in Venezuela, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that the United States’ support of democracies would “in no way be diminished by a few, aging Blackjack bombers, visiting one of Latin America's few autocracies, which are themselves being left behind by an increasingly peaceful, prosperous and democratic hemisphere”.

Defense Minister of Venezuela, Gustavo Rangel, reportedly said that the country’s training exercises with Russian military would allow them to counter U.S. “threats” as the country begins to shift its attention away from the Middle East.

Rangel cited the recent “reactivation of the US Fourth Fleet for Latin America and the Caribbean” as one reason for the amped up military training with Russia, the AFP reported.