Russian President Putin has just left Iran after visiting an official visit there. On the surface it would seem that things are going along just swimmingly between Iran and Russia and their respective Presidents.
The Economist puts the whole thing into some sort of perspective in a piece "Last Tango in Tehran":
"This chumminess may seem just another example of Russia's anti-Western foreign policy, especially as it came soon after a frosty meeting with Condoleezza Rice and Robert Gates, respectively America's secretaries of state and defence. Mr Putin kept the two waiting for more than half an hour, and then poured scorn on America's planned missile-defence system in Poland and the Czech Republic. He also repeated Russia's threats to pull out of the INF treaty to eliminate intermediate-range nuclear missiles, unless its curbs are extended to other countries.
Certainly Russia's foreign policy has not been helpful to America. But it was never meant to be. Russia only reluctantly signed up to two United Nations sanctions resolutions against Iran, and it has so far refused to back a third. Mr Putin claims that there is no evidence that Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons, and argues that further sanctions will do no good to anyone. Less helpful to the West has been the sale of Russian anti-aircraft missiles to Iran.
As far as Mr Putin is concerned, Russia has its own interests, which differ from America's. Russia is worried about Iran becoming a nuclear power: Iran is far nearer Moscow than Washington, and a nuclear power to the south is the last thing Russia wants. Nor does Mr Putin take lightly Iran's threat to wipe out Israel. He told a European Jewish Congress in Moscow that Russia and Israel were the two countries most threatened by a nuclear Iran. This week Israel's prime minister, Ehud Olmert, flew to Moscow to discuss Mr Putin's ideas for breaking the deadlock over Iran's nuclear ambitions, as well as the Palestinian peace process."
The Economist puts the whole thing into some sort of perspective in a piece "Last Tango in Tehran":
"This chumminess may seem just another example of Russia's anti-Western foreign policy, especially as it came soon after a frosty meeting with Condoleezza Rice and Robert Gates, respectively America's secretaries of state and defence. Mr Putin kept the two waiting for more than half an hour, and then poured scorn on America's planned missile-defence system in Poland and the Czech Republic. He also repeated Russia's threats to pull out of the INF treaty to eliminate intermediate-range nuclear missiles, unless its curbs are extended to other countries.
Certainly Russia's foreign policy has not been helpful to America. But it was never meant to be. Russia only reluctantly signed up to two United Nations sanctions resolutions against Iran, and it has so far refused to back a third. Mr Putin claims that there is no evidence that Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons, and argues that further sanctions will do no good to anyone. Less helpful to the West has been the sale of Russian anti-aircraft missiles to Iran.
As far as Mr Putin is concerned, Russia has its own interests, which differ from America's. Russia is worried about Iran becoming a nuclear power: Iran is far nearer Moscow than Washington, and a nuclear power to the south is the last thing Russia wants. Nor does Mr Putin take lightly Iran's threat to wipe out Israel. He told a European Jewish Congress in Moscow that Russia and Israel were the two countries most threatened by a nuclear Iran. This week Israel's prime minister, Ehud Olmert, flew to Moscow to discuss Mr Putin's ideas for breaking the deadlock over Iran's nuclear ambitions, as well as the Palestinian peace process."
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