Tension between Russia and the US on missile defense issues did
not ease as both sides failed to agree on any key points during
their talks in Moscow on Friday.
The talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin, visiting US
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and foreign and defense
ministers from both countries, focused on missile defense, the
Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty, and ways to
further reduce offensive arms after START-1 (Strategic Arms
Reduction Treaty) expires in 2012.
However, the two sides failed to overcome differences on the US
plan to deploy 10 ballistic missile interceptors in Poland and a
tracking radar in the Czech Republic, as well as Russia's proposals
to extend the START-1, although both sides agreed to continue
discussions at an expert level and resume the talks in six
months.
Analysts said the US missile defense plan in Eastern Europe
stood at the center of the conflict between the two powers, and
their lack of sincerity to cooperate directly caused the talks to
bog down.
Washington says the missile defense plan in eastern Europe is
intended to stave off the threat from what it calls "rogue states,"
but Moscow strongly opposes it, seeing it as a worrisome step that
undermines Russian security.
At a press conference after Friday's talks, Russian Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow had urged the US to freeze the
plan during consultations between experts.
But Rice said later in an interview with Russian TV channel
"Rossiya" that the US should start deploying elements of its
missile defense shield in Central Europe without delay.
Lavrov warned that if the US deployed missile defense elements
in Europe, Russia would be forced to take steps to "neutralize" the
threat posed by the US anti-missile system.
Putin asked the US to abandon the plan, warning it would hurt
bilateral relations.
He also threatened to pull his country out of the Russian-US
Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) unless it was
extended to other countries.
The CFE treaty also puts Russia in a favorable position in
negotiations. The pact, signed by 22 states in Paris on November
19, 1990, was an agreement between NATO members and Warsaw Pact
countries aimed at establishing a balance in Europe by cutting
weapons of conventional armed forces.
On July 13, 2007, Putin signed a decree suspending Russia's
participation in the treaty, arousing "great concern" among
European countries.
NATO spokesman James Appathurai said, "NATO considers this
treaty to be an important foundation of European security and
stability."
Russia had threatened several times to withdraw from the treaty
when it was at odds with the US over the planned missile defense
shield in Eastern Europe.
Under pressure from its European allies, the US showed its
concern about Russia's declared intention to withdraw from the CFE
Treaty.
After the talks on Friday, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates
said he hoped that the two parties would be able to bridge their
differences and that specialists would be able to sort out a
solution to the problem.
However, Russia considers the US proposals on salvaging the CFE
Treaty inadequate.
According to Lavrov, Russia and the US will continue their
consultations on the missile defense in Europe involving foreign
and defense ministers of the two countries, in what is called the
"two-plus-two" format, in six months in Washington.
"We have agreed that this format will deal with practical
implementation of the initiatives, which our countries jointly
promote and implement on the international arena for the sake of
strategic stability," Lavrov said.
Some Russian officials said the US willingness to cooperate was
due to Russia's hard steps.
"Russia's recent resolute steps, including the resumption of
patrol missions of its long-range aircraft and the rearmament of
its armed forces with new types of powerful weapons, have played a
significant role in this change," Russian State Duma international
affairs committee head Konstantin Kosachyov said, as quoted by the
Itar-Tass news agency.
He said that in addition to the suspension of Russia's
participation in the CFE Treaty, these steps have created "a
fundamentally different climate" in the Russian-US relations.
He also believed that "the clearly articulated agreement between
the parties to continue negotiations on a regular basis" is the
most important result of the meeting.
Analysts have noticed that although Russia and the US have
barely budged their positions, they have maintained their interest
in dialogues and agreed to continue consultations on the issue.
However, it is believed that no definitive results can be
expected from the talks before the presidential elections in both
countries next year.
(Xinhua News Agency October 14, 2007)
