Ivan the Colorado wrote:2SPOOKY4U wrote:Saudi Arabia is likely to buy a ton of Russan weaponry. Ranging from BMP-3s and T-90s to a few Iskanders. The reason for that is that the Saudis want to diversify their arm imports so they won't have to rely only on the US and Europe and the Saudis feel that the Americans can no longer help them as they once have. There is a lot of news about it already. I personally have no problem with the new cooperation between Russia and Saudi Arabia as it signals a shift in the relationship and puts aside their differences.
It looks like Flagship has successfully baited you.
Why help Saudi Arabia instead of Syria? Considering its oil wealth, Saudi Arabia can never be pried from the western camp. Any aid to Saudi Arabia would turn neighboring Iran against Russia. Plus Saudi Arabia's Salafist ideology is not in Russia's interest. Saudi Arabia funds terrorism in Chechnya and Dagestan. If I were Putin I'd block any arms sales to Saudi Arabia.
No different than Russia selling tons of weapons to Azerbaijan while supporting Armenia.
Let us face it, it is a dog eat dog world. The defense organizations want to make money, they will make money. This doesn't mean Russia will stop support for Syria or Iran, heck, they can even further help them with having more money from sales. Iskander-E system isn't nearly as advanced as some may think, and clearly not compared to its domestic variant, so no threat from sales. If they use them, that will be Saudi's fault. They will obtain BM's of some sort regardless if Russia sells them or not.