In an interview with reporters, the chief of Russian export agency Rosoboronexport, Sergei Chemezov, stated yesterday that Venezuela has several purchasing contracts regarding 24 Sukhoi warplanes, plus other aircraft, estimated at 3 billion dollars: "Some contracts for 3 billion dollars have been signed over the last year and a half including for 24 Sukhois and 53 helicopters". The announcement was made following Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's official trip to Russia, to meet Vladimir Putin.

At the start of the presidential meeting yesterday, Chavez insisted on highlighting the importance of the purchase for his country: "We would like to thank you for freeing us from a blockade", he told Putin, referring at the military aircraft deal.

In reply, Putin appeared to make a stern reference to a previous decision made by the United States to ban their manufacturers to sell arms to the Caracas administration, in anger regarding the deals Venezuela made with Russia over this issue: "Co-operation between Russia and Venezuela is not directed against anyone. It aims to raise the living standards of the population", he stated, in an apparent effort to appease the United States and ensure it that none of these deals are meant to cause concern on their American counterparts.

The statement comes amid growing tension in the United States over the military equipment purchases settlements that were reflected in US State Department Tom Casey's declaration earlier this week:" "We certainly hope that the Russians will reconsider this sale". Despite the comments made by the US, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov stated that his country would not reconsider selling the warplanes to Venezuela: ""A re-examination of the contracts is absolutely ruled out."

The reason why Chavez resorted to buying Russian fighter planes was because he could not get spare parts for his US-made F-16 jets after the latter imposed the ban. In exchange, Chavez asserted that he would sell the F-16s as they are and buy Russian-made aircraft.