5 percent of gross
domestic product, or about $4 billion this year.
Only 28 percent of Russians polled now view the United States
favorably, compared with 68 percent a mere few months ago. A majority
of 55 percent disapprove of the USA in a country that was, until very
recently, by far the most pro-American in Europe. A Russian telecom,
Excom, is offering unlimited free phone calls to the White House to
protest U.S. "aggression".
Washington, on its part, has accused the Russian firm, Aviaconversiya,
of helping Iraqi forces to jam global positioning system (GPS) signals.
Other firms - including anti-tank Kornet missile manufacturer, KBP Tula
- have also been fingered for supplying Iraq with sensitive military
technologies.
These allegations were vehemently denied by President Vladimir Putin in
a phone call to Bush - and ridiculed by the companies ostensibly
involved. Russia exported c. $5 billion of military hardware and
another $2.6 billion in nuclear equipment and expertise last year,
mostly to India and China - triple the 1994 figure.
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