Does the Russian proposal indicate that Russia is now taking Irans nuclear program seriously?
A positive interpretation of Russia’s proposal is that Russia is growing increasingly wary of Iran’s pursuit of ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons. Though missile defense assets in Europe would address more than just the Iranian threat, the Bush Administration should use the consultation process to clarify Russia’s interest in collaboration to address the kind of shared security concerns presented by Iran’s behavior. Specifically, the Bush Administration should encourage the Russians to assess the nuclear stability challenges of a proliferated environment and should seek to arrive at an understanding of how to maintain stability in such an environment. Question #5: Is the U.S. prepared to negotiate from a position of strength? The capabilities of the missile defense systems planned for the Czech Republic and Poland are extremely limited. If the Russians ask for significant concessions on future missile defense capabilities in Europe, the result could easily be a token defense. Obta
