Global Security Newswire

Russian leaders have decided essentially to put U.S. relations on hold until President-elect Barack Obama takes office in January, signaling the end to Bush administration proposals on missile defense and strategic arms control, the Moscow Times reported today (see GSN, Nov. 6).

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday rejected recent U.S. offers on revising the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (see GSN, Nov. 7) and on assuaging Moscow’s concerns over Bush administration plans to deploy missile defenses in Europe (see GSN, Nov. 7).

“We have paid attention to the positions that Barack Obama has published on his [Web] site. They instill hope that we can examine these issues in a more constructive way,” Lavrov told reporters after meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Egypt (Moscow Times, Nov. 10).

On missile defense, for example, Obama’s site says: “An Obama-Biden administration will support missile defense, but ensure that it is developed in a way that is pragmatic and cost-effective; and, most importantly, does not divert resources from other national security priorities until we are positive the technology will protect the American public” (BarackObama.com, undated).

Obama foreign policy adviser Denis McDonough reaffirmed that view Saturday.

“His position is as it was throughout the campaign, that he supports deploying a missile defense system when the technology is proved to be workable," McDonough said.

Meanwhile, Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev spoke by telephone Saturday.

They “expressed the determination to create constructive and positive interaction for the good of global stability and development," said a Kremlin statement (Associated Press/Google News, Nov. 9).