Obama “Ready to Drop Missile Shield Plans in Return for Russian Help on Iran”

US President Barack Obama (1961- ) and President Dmitri Medvedev (1965- ). Is the era of neocon sabre-rattling and hubris over? God willing it is… it is in Mr Obama’s hands now… shall he stay the course?

Washington told Moscow that Russian help in resolving Iran’s nuclear programme would make its missile shield plans for Europe unnecessary, a Russian daily said on Monday, citing White House sources. US President Barack Obama made the proposal on Iran in a letter to his Russian counterpart, Dmitri Medvedev, Kommersant said, referring to unidentified US officials. Iran’s controversial nuclear programme was cited by the US as one of the reasons behind its plans to deploy a missile base in Poland and a radar site in the Czech Republic. The missile shield was strongly opposed by Russia, which views it as a threat to its national security. The dispute has strained relations between the former Cold War rivals, already tense over a host of other differences. The leaders exchanged letters and had a telephone conversation since Mr Obama was sworn into office in January, Kommersant said. The first high-level Russia-US meeting will take place later this week, when Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meets with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Geneva. Moscow has not yet responded to the proposal by President Obama, the paper said, adding that a decision was unlikely to be made during the meeting of Mr Lavrov and Mrs Clinton.

The issue is likely to be discussed when Presidents Obama and Medvedev meet in London on 2 April on the sidelines of the G20 summit of world leaders to address the financial crisis. Earlier reports said Mr Medvedev had also invited the US leader to visit Russia and the date of Mr Obama’s first visit to the largest country in the world could be announced in the British capital. In an interview on Sunday with Spanish media, Mr Medvedev said he hoped to discuss the issue of missile defence with Mr Obama in London. He also said he hoped the new US administration would display a “more creative approach” to the issue than its predecessors. “We have received signals from our American colleagues”, Mr Medvedev said. “I expect those signals will turn into specific proposals. I hope to discuss the issue, which is extremely important for Europe, with US President Barack Obama”.

The United States and other Western nations suspect Tehran of secretly seeking nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear programme is purely aimed at generating electricity. However, unlike his predecessor, George W. Bush, Mr Obama has stated a preference for diplomatic efforts to resolve the dispute. U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates said on NBC television on Sunday that the Islamic Republic was not close to building a nuclear bomb. “They’re not close to a stockpile, they’re not close to a weapon at this point, and so there is some time”, Mr Gates said. He also said that the while more sanctions should be imposed against Iran, the door should not be closed to diplomacy.

2 March 2009

RIA-Novosti

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20090302/120375219.html (in English)