Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit to Moscow to speed up the completion of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty follow-on agreement with Russia continues to highlight the difficulty of dealing with Moscow even when the two countries ostensibly share common interests. Although Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed an agreement would be reached before the end of the month, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin greeted Clinton with an announcement that the nuclear plant Russia is helping Iran build in Bushehr will begin operations this summer.
Clinton called the decision “premature.” She continued: “Iran is entitled to civil nuclear power; it is a nuclear weapons program that it is not entitled to.”
This is the latest example of Moscow’s steps that undermine the bilateral relationship.
President Obama can press the “reset” button all he wants, but it doesn’t seem to matter because when it comes to arms control and Iran, Russian policy ranges from unhelpful to outright disruptive.
Despite recent hints that Russia is more willing to go along with Iran sanctions, the Administration needs to accept that the Kremlin will not be as cooperative as the U.S. would like them to be in deterring Teheran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. “Powerful Russian special interests–security, nuclear, oil and gas, and the military-industrial complex–are vehemently opposed to any significant reversal of Russian policy toward Iran,” argues Heritage Foundation Senior Research Fellow Dr. Ariel Cohen. “Therefore, it is naïve, if not dangerous, to hope that Moscow will provide decisive assistance in the U.N. Security Council or bilaterally vis-à-vis Iran.”
As President Obama has become increasingly involved in the START follow-on negotiations, he has slowly discovered the challenge of concluding a deal. In particular, Russia’s insistence on linking arms-control to missile defense has been one of the more recent points of contention.
It turns out that charming Putin and Medvedev into changing their positions on issues of great importance to US national interests is a lot harder than expected.
Jeffrey Chatterton currently is a member of the Young Leaders Program at the Heritage Foundation. For more information on interning at Heritage, please visit: http://www.heritage.org/About/Internships-Young-Leaders/The-Heritage-Foundation-Internship-Program
"Oh no, even more trouble?!?" I just read the title and got a kick out of it.
I suppose Clinton doesn't have a problem trusting an Islamic extremist regime with a boat load of fertilizer. After all, they promised to use on the farm, right??? Thank God for the Israelis!
I don't know why anyone thought we would get anything different from this administration. We were told exactly how they would deal with Iran. You would think we would listen to the experts (Israel), but no, we have such a wealth of knowledge in obama and clinton.
Why doesn't Hillary ask Medvedev and Putin for a mulligan?
Vladimar PM Do not allow
Street drugs you must keep
Them controlled.Luk will
Be only oil company allowed
In Russia until I get back
The profits will be divided
From Nik Bank to new bank
Leave money alone in Central
Banks You must have your
Team right before you can
develop The money in new
bank you must open a
Pharmaseudical co. Put
Your and my name on it
with a third person put my
Sister on it Margaret and
Nicole Romanov Henderson.Name
The co Imperial pharmaseudacles
2nd issue The communications
I only authorized Central Bank
To pay govt employees 7.75 an hour
You and Dmitry are
To open up applications on
Positions for all Head positions
Like The Ministry of Communications
And they are not to be under the
State control only I will
Have a part in running these name com-
From now on Imperial whatever Ministry.
The monies earned from Luk OIl
Will be split up 3 ways The Imperial Household
Acct, The DEvelop acct, and oil company
Upkeep.Nicole my sister will
Help with running Pharmaseudical co.
She is in sales and marketing now in Amer-
Ica You must contact glaxco_smith
And klein tell them u want
To open pharma co. In Russia
But In name of The Imperial
Pharmaseudicals I am commonwealth
And soveriegn I can't be sued
Then build a lab and warehouse
Open small pharmacies like
Target or Walmart superstores
They have pharmacy inside along, with food and
MiscelanEous items. Then go to
NASA ask what they want to sell
On market and make sure
NASA is one company my family
Bluprints began.
And our alaska mines built up
Labs which are my mines my
Grandfather did not sell.
Then you must open hiring up to
Put doctors from america
In Moscow and St Petersbug and
Siberia I need american speak
Ing doctors.America has disabled me physicaLy
AndGOr people in america.So
U have to get Luk oil
And finances rigHt for me
Pharmaseudical co. And
Target or Walmart and speak with Nasa
About what needs to be built
For future of new planet
To live on when Earth gives out
And Communications and a
Imperial Minister and pass out
Applications for new Imperial Minister
Or wait and only open
Up hiring as soon as you
Open stores and pharmaseudical co.
Her Imperial Highness Margaret
Vladimar I don't want my instructions
Posted. I just hate to see you sell and
Make street drugs and I need to
Get things in order and if Dmitry
Does all this work I will have to
Modify or redo it is a waste of time
And money. The Courts have a wait list.
Her Imperial Highness Margaret
See you soon Continue on.