Time for thawing Moscow-U.S. ties

Abrogating the ABM Treaty that had been designed to prevent a renewed nuclear arms race, the Bush II White House decided to pursue missile defense technology. The crucial yet seldom mentioned point here is that almost all of this technology to date simply doesn't work thus nullifying any arguments by its over-jingoistic supporters. As of yet, it has only succeeded in both failing to provide a credible shield while also ratcheting up relations both with Moscow and Beijing. Unfortunately as the national security of both of these countries' are on the line, neither of them has the luxury to believe reports concerning the many failures of the missile shield. They have to assume that it either works or will soon work and that the threat from such a shield would at least reduce their nuclear deterrent or at worst nullify it. Although many Western policymakers don't really consider it to be a threat to Moscow, the Russians certainly do, so much so that they have even considered reactivating some of their warehoused weapons while also developing new launchers and ICBMs like the RS-24.

In addition to the specious missile shield, the outgoing administration in an ill-planned effort to contain Tehran also recently stationed interceptor systems on Russia's doorstep, the formerly communist countries of Poland and Czech Republic. Such actions in Moscow's mind only confirm their suspicions that the U.S. plans to limit the Kremlin's ability to employ its nuclear arsenal under the guise of protecting a nuclear armed Europe from a third rate and so far non-nuclear Iran.

The incoming Obama administration has the opportunity to address unwarranted Russian fears all the while securing a better deal on Iranian enrichment. As a result of internal lobbies and other political realities at home, killing missile defense is a virtual impossibility. Nonetheless, it could certainly be restructured and diluted to the extent that it doesn't prompt the Russians or Chinese to increase their arsenals.

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