USA makes Russia dance to its tunes

The global geopolitical game between Russia and the United States has taken quite an intriguing turn. Daniel Fried, the assistant secretary for Europe, stated that the US administration would be willing to take Moscow’s concerns into its consideration and turn down the plans to deploy elements of the missile defense system in Eastern Europe. In return, Washington would like Russia to make Iran shut down its nuclear program.

Photo: USA makes Russia dance to its tunes

The initiative sounded after recent US-Russian talks in Moscow on October 12 and after Vladimir Putin’s visit to Teheran. Daniel Fried made the above-mentioned suggestion at a press conference in Brussels after the meeting of Russia-NATO Council. Washington plans to deploy the radar station in the Czech Republic and interceptors in Poland because of the missile threat from Iran, the official said. "This is a threat-based system, and we would be affected if Iran gave up its (uranium) enrichment and worked with the international community, and had a different approach to things," Fried said.

A gesture of reconciliation from the USA is connected with Russia’s tough stance on the issue of the missile defense system in Eastern Europe, the Director of the Russian and Asian Programs of the Washington-based World Security Institute, Nikolai Zlobin said in an interview with the Vremya Novostei newspaper. Moscow said that the missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic threatens Russia’s security. The Kremlin offered the USA to use the radar station in the republic of Azerbaijan instead. “American officials were greatly surprised with the Russian reaction to their missile defense plans. They were astonished to hear from Russia that the system was aimed against Russia. At the same time, the US administration understands that they can not drive Putin into a corner. Therefore, they started looking for intermediary variants,” the expert said.

Poland ’s Prime Minister Yaroslav Kaczynski has suddenly stepped into the US-Russian game of missiles. Kaczynski, the staunch ally of the US administration, stated yesterday that Poland needed US interceptor missiles to be protected against Russia, but not Iran. “It will strengthen our security. Russians disagreed with the changes that took place in 1989. They probably believe that we remain in their sphere of influence,” the Polish prime minister said.

The recent US-Russian talks in Moscow did not bring any positive results in the situation with the missile defense system. Russia’s Chief of Staff Yuri Baluyevsky said after the talks that he did not see anything new in the propositions of US officials. “They say that the radar station in Azerbaijan, which Russia offered, should be used as an addition to the missile defense system in Eastern Europe. We do not agree with such an approach,” the general said.

It goes without saying that the Iranian administration is also looking for ways to avoid a military conflict with the USA. It is not ruled out that Iran will eventually agree to come to a certain compromise.

Vremya Novostei

Translated by Dmitry Sudakov
Pravda.ru