Russia willing to talk missiles, Iran separate

[Botany]

Source: Reuters

MADRID (Reuters) - Russia would be willing to discuss a new missile defense structure with the United States but sees Iran's nuclear program as a separate issue, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday.

Asked about a report in the New York Times that U.S. President Barack Obama had written to him offering to back off deploying a new missile system in Eastern Europe in return for help with the Iranians, Medvedev said signals from Washington were positive but the two issues were separate.

"If we are talking about any "swaps" (Iran for missile defense), this is not how the question is being put. This would not be productive," Medvedev told a news conference in Madrid, where he was on a state visit.

But he added: "If the new (U.S.) administration shows common sense and offers a new (missile defense) structure which would satisfy European (needs) ... and would be acceptable for us, we are ready to discuss it."

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/vcCandidateFeed1/idUSTRE5223AC20090303

---

.... that damn Obama! :rofl:

He is trying diplomacy and stuff.

[TheLastMohican]

1. Medvedev is going to call Obama's bluff

Obama doesn't have the money and resources to build that missile shield anyways.
And they are trying to talk Russia out of a multi-billion deal of a nearly completed nuclear power plant by saying they will stop an ABM site which is still on paper only?

A word of advice to Obama's advisors - don't every think that the other party as stupid as african jungle tribes who are willingly accepting cheap beads for nothing in return.

[Purveyor]

2. Medvedev Denies Iran-Missile Shield Tradeoff With U.S

Source: Ria Novosti

18:47 | 03/ 03/ 2009

MADRID, March 3 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's president denied on Tuesday media reports claiming that Washington had pledged to drop its Central European missile shield plans if Moscow helped resolve Iran's controversial nuclear program.

A number of media outlets, including the New York Times and Russian business daily Kommersant, reported on Monday that a letter sent by U.S. President Barack Obama to Dmitry Medvedev had stated that the U.S. was ready to give up its plans to deploy missile shield elements in Central Europe in exchange for Russia's assistance on the Iranian nuclear program.

"We are in correspondence, but no tradeoffs have been discussed, I assure you," Medvedev told a news conference in Madrid.

---CLIP
Medvedev said however on Tuesday that he viewed the United States' readiness to address the missile defense problems as a positive sign.

"If the new U.S. administration shows common sense in this regard and proposes a new setup, one which would suit all Europeans, as well as the U.S. itself, and which would, needless to say, also be acceptable to our country, we'd be ready to discuss it," he said.

Read more: http://en.rian.ru/world/20090303/120403903.html

[quidam56]

3. All we are saaaaayiiiing is give Peace a chance.