Russia refuses to link START reductions to Iran:
Russia will not agree to tougher sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program in exchange for a new nuclear arms cuts deal with Washington… Last week… Obama’s nuclear adviser suggested that progress on a U.S.-Russian nuclear arms pact could help persuade Moscow to be more cooperative on Iran. “There are no reasons to link these issues or count on Russia being more cooperative in toughening sanctions against Iran if there is progress in talks with the United States on further cuts in strategic offensive weapons,” the source said.
They won’t link missile shield reductions to Iran either:
Medvedev has said he’s willing to discuss the proposed US missile shield with Washington. But he added that any deal linking those talks with negotiations regarding Iran would not be productive. Russian President Dimitry Medvedev’s comments came in response to a New York Times report that US President Barack Obama had written a secret letter to his Russian counterpart offering to halt the planned missile shield, which would be located mainly in Poland and the Czech Republic, in return for Moscow’s help in stopping Iran from developing long-range nuclear weapons.
And they’re very publicly building up their own nuclear arsenal. All of which has a lot to do with how they’re making a geopolitical gamble for Central Asia and they’ve bet on Ahmadinejad:
From the Russian point of view, Ahmadinejad would be a superb asset — even if not truly under their control. His very existence focuses American attention on Iran, not on Russia. It follows, then, that… Moscow will follow through to protect the Iranian state to the extent possible. The Russians have already denied U.S. requests for assistance on Iran. But if Moscow has intervened in Iran to help safeguard Ahmadinejad’s position, then the potential increases for Russia to provide Iran with the S-300 strategic air defense systems that it has been dangling in front of Tehran for more than a decade… If a Russian-Iranian entente emerges out of all this — which at the moment is merely a possibility, not an imminent reality — then the United States would have some serious strategic problems on its hands.
No worries though. This is nothing that can’t be reset with personal charm and imbecilic props. Plus Obama is downright infatuated with Putin – “smart, tough, shrewd” and we know that his judgment on these things is impeccable.
References:
* Russia says no Iran sanctions for START deal: report [Reuters]
* Russian President Won’t "Haggle" Over US Missile Defense Plans [DW]
* Russia, Ahmadinejad and Iran Reconsidered [STRATFOR]
* Russia hits the reset button — by declaring its intent to rearm [Hot Air]
* Trickle Down Bumbling… Hillary Goofs On Russian Gift Exchange (Video) [Gateway Pundit]
* "He is smart, tough, shrewd … he is unsentimental:" Obama’s Praise for Putin, Author of 23 (or More) Assassinations of Oppostion Journalists [Ace]
Previously:
* Russian Warships Head Off For "Combat Training" In Atlantic And Mediterranean
* Russia Running Out Of Israeli Enemies That They Haven’t Provided With Cutting-Edge Military Tech
* East European Anti-Communist Crusaders Beg Obama: Please Don’t Sell Us Out To Russia Again
