Russia don't need a smart hammer to put a nail in US infrastructure coffin!!!

Alex, Moscow, Russia

Ivan Shelepin, Ufa, Russia

Any? Are you serious, you guys have like 15,000 N W and we have 10,000.

So let's say god forbid, China goes to war with Russia, they get nuked that's just stupid.

Luigi, Brooklyn, NY, United States of America

The World Needs Russia strong. A strong russia is a good counter balance to us. I mean the Untied States. We need the balance to check ourselves from reaching to far in areas we shouldest be reaching. Think of it as a global "checks and balances system"

Bill, Chicago, USA

Everyone is missing the point.. Any war between the US and Russia will be THERMONUCLEAR! The newly adopted Russian military doctrine states that Russia could answer with a nuclear strike against any conventional war initiated against it. Having old T72 or precision weapons won't matter...

Ivan Shelepin, Ufa, Russia

What a diference between former KGB agent (Putin) and Mossad agent (Livny). Why west is so touched by Zsipy Livny and so irritated by Putin? The USA had the former clown as presidebt (Reigan). What's wrong with it?
Eugene, Tyumen, Russia

Eugene, Tyumen, Russia

Notice all the trouble spots in the world have 1 common variable...(Russian organised crime-KGB-Politicians)!
IRAN is causing trouble in Iraq only with russian support now it is flezing nuke muscle. All the thugos in the middle east and africa carry ak-47s and various other russian munitians. sad!

D, Moscow, Russia

Well The US, does spend billions in its military, a powerful nation, a powerful military.

Luigi, Brooklyn, NY, United States of America

On August 7th... the Georgian government launched a major military operation into Tskhinvali and other areas of the separatist region. Regrettably, several Russian peacekeepers were killed in the fighting
Condoleezza Rice

Condy finally agrees she's been been lying all the time

Leonid, Moscow,

Vince of Kansas City

Like many Americans you seem to think US could easily defeat Russia without incurring any damage to US infrastucture.
An attack on Russia by US could result in complete destruction of US infrastructure and milllions of lives.
It would not be the same as going to war in Iraq

Davo, Auckland, New Zealand

Russia would be target practice, we would take down their infrastructure and it would take a decade or more to rebuild. They would have little to no foreign investment to help withe rebuilding, because noone would trust they would get their money back...Nukes would be suicidal not an option.

Vince, Kansas City, USA

The lack of historical perspective is mind boggling. Imagine for one moment if the positions of the US and Russia were reversed in terms of global power position. It would be a very dark world indeed. The US has a right and responsibility to protect its interests abroad, namely access to energy.

Brad, Seattle, USA

Keep in mind that Russia doesn't need smart weapons, for example. Unlike the US, when Russian goes to war they practice a scorched earch policy of laying waste to civilian centers. See Chechnya.

Brad, Seattle, USA

The EU and USA spend a total of $900 billion on defence.
Give it up USSR...I mean Russia

Phill, The Wirral, England

We have 300 T90 only(!!!) when India has >500 T90 we sold them. If our guys in S.Ossetia had been equipped with this stuff instead of that trash they used (I mean T72), we'd have lost much less soldiers. This is not to war with US, this is because our tanks are completely rusty

Aleksei, Ural, Russia

To Chris,NYC
World will never be free underUSAdominace. USA invades other countries for there own gains and calls that democracy. I will just be glad when that day ends. SoUSAcan't invade smaller countries that they have something they want. That's democracy, not one country controlling everything

Marko, Birmingham, UK

Russia will have trouble finding enough young people to field a military in a couple of decades. Its demographic situation is grim, to put it mildly. Talk of Russian hegemony is grossly overstated. They are simply trying to relive past glories. Their days in the Sun are over.

Vernon, Greenville, South Carolina, USA

US military budget is ten times Russia's because it includes the costs of two wars and Russia has the ability to produce what are in many cases superior weapons for a fraction of US cost. Remember when US spent $9.0M to develop ball point pen to write in space and Russians just used lead pencils!

Davo, Auckland, New Zealand

Russia is looking to "Defend" it own interests, namely those in the artic. Russia itself is attempting to redraw it territorial rights so that it can have unfettered access to the vast amount of natural resources that will soon be acceptable. It will need a modern Army/Navy to accomplish this.

Chris from Roseville, Roseville, USA

USA, Canada, Denmark and Russia all have claims on those resources in the artic

Chris from Roseville, Roseville, USA

2 Horace, Florence, Tuscany, Italy
You may eliminate what you like. But among other "articles", please don't forget about that Nuclear Weapons. Those are much more powerful argument than gas and oil altogether. And THOSE are the only reason why till now RF is still not annexed by NATO... Get real.

vsevolod, Omsk, Russia

New Lies for Old...written in 1990 by an Ex- Russian KGB agent that turned to the west should be read by all of you ...The bear has been doing what it has planned all along...from collapse to its new rise....Don't be fooled !

Ed , Albion, Usa

Chris, New York.

"Free, democratic world" - with all due respect, you band these words around without a concept of their origin or application. Freedom, does not merit imposition of ones own values (i.e. the US's interests) on others. Democracy should not enable invasion - but it does.

Sabs, Eton, UK

Even if US & Russia are spending the same GDP % of 4% according to Caleb from Kansas - there is still a hugh difference between approximately 50 billion and over 500 billion. You can do a lot more with 500 billion than 50 billion. But I hope this is not a road to destruction for Russia & US.

Naleen Lal, Northern California,

Caleb from the USA "We have more assets to protect so it takes more force" sadly you include other poeples assets (oil, gas...bananas :-) as your assets

t.andre, london,

To A.A. from Melbourne:

I understand your cynicism, however, let's be rational for just a moment. The free, democratic world would not enjoy its current security & prosperity were it not for - or projection thereof - the U.S. military. Furthermore, you should try reading a modern history book.

Chris, New York City, USA

Does this really surprise anyone? The US is overextended and having financial difficulties. That translates to the US having less leverage on other nations.

Russia's, China's and India's economies are on the rise. Which means the US will have decreasing influence in the future.

Brandon, Seattle,

The USSR was completely resource self-sufficient. Other than reclaiming former Soviet republics to get those resources back, I don't think Russia has plans for world domination. Europe will bow to their wishes since they provide the oil. USA should take care of its own failing system.

Heather, spokane, usa

US military expenditure is $583 billion. EU countries military expenditure is $311 billions. There's definitely no military threat to the West. The real threat to Europe is the energetic one. Once we eliminate our energy dependency on the russians, Russia won't more more scary than Iran to us

Horace, Florence, Tuscany, Italy

How much we spend on our military is relative to our GDP. We have more assets to protect so it takes more force. Russia and the US spend both about %4 of the GDP. It's ridiculous to look at it any other way.

Caleb, Kansas City, USA

I think you mean "Offense Spending."

Jerome Butler, Dallas, USA

Bravo! Just figures and facts. Thank you, sir.

Dmitry Ivanov, Moscow,

And now... to hear watch for all the American comments & cries how Russia should not be trusted etc

(even after Iraq, Afghanistan, etc)

BUT MAIN POINT: Russia's military budget remains barely a tenth of the $480 billion spent by the Pentagon this year

A.A., Melbourne, Australia