Report: Obama Offers To Scrap Missile Shield If Russia Cooperates On Iran

U.S. president-elect Barack Obama (L) and vice president-elect Joe Biden lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers on January 18, 2009 at the Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

From FOX News:

President Obama wrote to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to tell him Russia's aid in resolving the threat from Iran would make plans for a missile defense shield in Europe unnecessary, according to Russian news agencies.

President Obama offered to consider scrapping plans for a missile defense shield in Europe if Russia helps rein in Iran's nuclear program, the Russian newspaper Kommersant reported.

The article said Obama wrote to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to tell him Russia's aid in resolving the threat from Iran would make the missile shield plans unnecessary, according to an account from Russian news agency RIA Novosti.

A senior administration official told FOX News that Obama sent a letter to Medvedev but "we won't comment on the specifics."

Read more ....

My Comment: If the Russian Foreign Minister's comments are anything to go on, they are not going to assist the U.S. with the Iranians .... as far as they are concern it is a separate issue.

The Russian Government does not want a missile defense system in Europe. To them this is a political disagreement, not a military one. They know that U.S. involvement would only serve to assert Eastern European countries to be more independent from Moscow .... a situation that is not desirable for the Russians.

The Russian Government is going to use the U.S. missile system as a lever to galvanize their own population against the U.S. and eastern Europe, and to position themselves to extract concessions from the U.S. at a later date. They are also hoping that opposition to the U.S. missile defense program will increase within the U.S. itself, and that the program will die from internal Congressional/White House politics and budget battles.

From where I am standing, the Russians are holding all the cards.