Russia Signs Large Arms Deal With Venezuela
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The head of Russia's state arms-trading agency said Thursday that Russia has signed contracts with Venezuela for 24 military planes and 53 helicopters, the Interfax news agency reported.
The comments by Sergei Chemezov, director-general of Rosoboronexport, were reported as being made on the sidelines of a Kremlin meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Venezuela's anti-U.S. president Hugo Chavez.
The report did not specify what model planes or helicopters had been sold, but cited Chemezov as saying arms deals worth more than $3 billion had been signed with Venezuela over the past 18 months.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The United States has sharply objected to Russian arms deals with Venezuela; Washington imposed an arms embargo on Venezuela this year.
Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said last week that Chavez was expected to sign an agreement to purchase Su-30 fighter jets from Russia during his visit. It was not immediately clear whether the contracts Chemezov was cited as reporting included that contract.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Neither Putin nor Chavez made any statements about arms contract to journalists at their meeting.