28 January 2009
GUARDIAN.CO.UK (MOSCOW) - Russia announced it is abandoning plans to deploy nuclear-capable Iskander missiles in its European Kaliningrad outpost, in what appears to be a sign that it wants to improve relations with a new United States administration. The move comes after President Obama announced he would review missile defense plans in Eastern Europe. Anonymous sources suggest the olive branch may in fact be nothing more than a test to see how President Obama responds. While Obama has not yet stated how he will approach the proposed missile shield, reports suggest he is skeptical of its value. Source: http://tinyurl.com/cecrx3 (Reliability : High - 47.94)
Comment: This announcement coincides with Putin's speech in Switzerland concerning the world economic crisis in which he blames the United States for igniting the downturn but also hopes that the West and Russia can "cooperate constructively." Perhaps an olive branch, the above announcement should be taken cautiously, as the financial crisis is hurting Russia considerably. Previous months have seen tough talk on missile deployment immediately following the American elections and rumors of S300 missile deals with Iran. Russia sounds a little different once the energy dollars stop pouring in.
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