Special to WorldTribune.com

By Miles Yu, Geostrategy-Direct.com

Russia’s stubborn insistence on siding with the pariah regime of Bashar Assad in Syria highlights an important economic factor: Russia’s heavy dependence on its arms export industry at the expense of Moscow’s international status and responsibility.

Some experts believe that Russia’s reliance on international arms trade has become a dominant factor in deciding Russia’s overall international relations policies.

Russia is the world’s second largest arms exporter after the United States.

On June 24, President Vladimir Putin disclosed that compared to the same period in last year, the first six months of this year witnessed a 15 percent increase in Russia’s arms exports. In 2012, Russia’s arms exports were worth $15.7 billion, a 12 percent increase from the year before.

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  Bashar Assad, Russia’s brisk arms trade business seen driving its foreign policy, Vladimir Putin