France Downplays Jet Swap with Russia

[kskiska]

PARIS — France says recent joint maneuvers in which Russian and French pilots flew each other's aircraft were not an effort to help Russia join NATO or the European Union, but simply "in the interest of world peace and cooperation."
In two significant steps of military cooperation last week, French and Russian warships maneuvered together off Norway and pilots from the two nations flew each other's jets in another exercise over Belarus.
Russian Sukhoi 27s and French Mirage 2000s took off from Russia's Lipetsk Air Base near the Belarus border.
Both exercises coincided with the visit to Moscow of three senior French officials. The developments have led some diplomats to call the warming of relations "the Paris-Moscow axis," and some consider it part of a larger plan for Europe.

French officials say Paris is merely establishing new links with Russia for world peace.

more…
http://www.washtimes.com/world/20030714-092731-6790r.htm

[LeftCoast]

1. while subtly hinting to the US that George's not the only boy at the dance

Russia's all too ready to be budies with France. There's a fairly long history between the two countries. Much of it positive, even. :)

It seems to be more and more apparent that GWB has suceeded in uniting virtually the entire world against us. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that they're uniting as a defense against us. If anything, that's the more distressing of the two options.

[canuck]

2. this is why I'm so scared of Canada joining the missile sheild

we're right across the pole.