Friday, 18 September 2009
An issue of conflict between Russia and the US has been the deployment of a missile defense system in Eastern Europe against a potential threat that Iran poses for the security of the region. However, the Obama administration recently announced that in light of recent intelligence reports, this plan would be replaced with a more flexible and effective one.
Obama says that his decision was guided in large part by new intelligence that shows Iran is focusing on the development of medium and short-range missiles. The original missile defense policy was based on the assumption that Tehran was seeking long-range capability.
This has been perceived as a positive development by Russia and the Russian media has stated that the Kremlin could abandon its plan regarding the deployment of tactical missiles in its Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad as a response.
USAK Eurasian expert, Hasan Selim Özertem, says that, “this is a strategic step taken by the US and reflects positively on US – Russian relations by decreasing the tension on Moscow regarding security concerns.” Moreover, this would also help Russia to obtain support at the UN’s Security Council to pass certain sanctions against Iran and North Korea, therefore, it can create a leverage on these countries.
Sinem Dengeli (JTW)
