CARACAS, Feb. 11 (Xinhuanet) -- Venezuelan Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel announced on Friday that Venezuela will go ahead with its arms purchase from Russia despite objections from the United States.

    The vice president said that the buying of 100,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles and dozens of helicopters from Russia "is a sovereign act by Venezuela that President Hugo Chavez's government refuses to debate over."

    "I have the suspicion that if the purchase was done with the North Americans, they certainly would not be so worried," Rangel added.

    Also on Friday, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pointedout that the purchase doesn't contradict any international norms or international obligations of Russia and Venezuela.

    On Thursday, the US State Department said that it is "extremely troubled," expressing its concerns that some Russian arms might befinally turned over to leftist rebels in Venezuela's neighboring Colombia.

    The US government added that the purchase might have a "destabilizing effect" on the hemisphere.

    Venezuela has expressed its interest in buying from Russia 40 military helicopters to patrol its volatile border with Colombia, 100,000 automatic assault rifles and some anti-missile and anti-tank weapons. Enditem