Russia's foreign minister laid out a tough negotiating position on America's missile defense plans Thursday ahead of a visit by President Bush, saying the best solution would be for the U.S. to scrap the idea altogether.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russian experts were studying the latest U.S. plans—intended to ease Russian concerns about the proposed missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic—but he reaffirmed Moscow's call for Washington to drop them.
"We are convinced that the best way to assuage Russia's concerns ... will be to abandon such plans and turn to a truly collective project," Lavrov told reporters.
Bush, Putin to discuss Cold War treaties next month: report
And what are you giving us in return? You're already building a nuclear plant in Iran. How about this? We abandon the missile defense shield in Eastern Europe, and you drop all present and future plans for nuclear reactors in Iran.
It's win-win really. If Iran can't build nuclear facilities, then that takes away our need to put these missile defense shields up in place now doesn't it?
Perhaps Russia would best be served if they managed to offer something in return for their demands. Until then, I find it difficult to want to get rid of our current plans.
Perhaps if they offered to sell us oil at $25 a barrel would change our minds? It's only fair, other countries rattle around and they have their hand out when we ask them to stop, so why not us doing the same to Russia?
Travis
No comments:
Post a Comment