Non-proletarian solidarity

During his recent visit to Venezuela Vladimir Putin confirmed that Russia will issue this state a loan worth of 2.2 billion USD for purchase of Russian arms as well as drew a cheque for 600 million USD which entitles to develop Khunin-6, the largest oil field. This step was evaluated ambiguously: someone considers the Russian administration wastes money fostering “parasitical” nature of the Latin Americans. Meanwhile, to preserve an image of great world power Russia should be able to arrange not only short-term commercial transactions with its partners.

The doctrine of not allowing any “sponsorship” to foreign partners has been dominating in Russian external policy for a long time. All the relations were considered to be built on the pure commercial basis: money in the morning – goods in the evening.

This point of view stems from deplorable experience of the USSR foreign policy. In Soviet times this country was known to provide multilateral generous aid to the Socialist camp “brothers” who were willing to declare just the route of friendship with Moscow. Later many of those “friends” turned their backs to Russia and succeeded in forgeting its good deeds as quickly as possible.

Pavel Zaharov notes that clear changes have emerged recently: once again Russia expresses its power readiness if not for charity, then for crediting. It is about crediting that we speak in the case of 2.2 billion USD – money is given to make commissions for Russian military equipment and then will be gradually paid out by Venezuela...

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