Russia fills in US defense gap in Egypt

Russia has signed a contract with Egypt for air-defense systems worth billions of dollars, the head of the state-owned weapons maker Rostec told reporters.

“As far as Egypt is concerned, several contracts have already been signed, including those on air-defense systems,” Sergei Chemezov said Monday, according to the Voice of Russia radio station. “Some are still being discussed. We’re discussing various military hardware, including helicopters and aircrafts.”

{mosads}The deal comes as the Obama administration has frozen orders for advanced weapons including tanks and fighter jets after the military ousted President Mohammed Morsi in July and subsequently cracked down violently on his supporters in the Muslim Brotherhood.

Egyptian policy has created a rift in the Obama administration between Secretary of State John Kerry and National Security Adviser Susan Rice, the Daily Beast reported Monday. Kerry has pushed for continued support for the Egyptian military, arguing the United States must preserve its influence, while Rice has pushed the State Department to be more critical of the country’s new leaders.

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