Gates urges Russia to ‘give ground’: Missile defence
MOSCOW, March 17: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defence Secretary Robert Gates on Monday held sensitive talks on missile defence with President Vladimir Putin and president-elect Dmitry Medvedev.
Welcoming Gates and Rice, Medvedev predicted “tense” talks but said there was a common will to overcome differences both on missile defence and replacing the strategic arms reduction treaty (START) that runs out next year.
“We still have differences in our positions on missile defence and the START treaty but nonetheless there is a will to move forward,” Medvedev said.
Rice offered congratulations to Medvedev on his election victory at what was a first opportunity for the US side to gauge the political transition in Russia and the extent to which Putin will remain influential.
Gates earlier suggested there was little room for flexibility on missile defence, saying he wanted Russia to give ground.
Moscow vehemently opposes US plans to place a missile defence radar in the Czech Republic and interceptor missiles in Poland, seeing them as a security threat and part of efforts to encircle Russia.
“We have put a lot on the table. We are willing to explain it further, but now it is time for them to reciprocate,” Gates told journalists, referring to proposals intended to allay Russian concerns put forward last October.
“At some point the Russians are going to have to decide whether they want to be true partners, which we’re offering, or whether this is all just a sham game on their part,” Gates said.
Rice stressed the differences between the current US proposals and the “Star Wars” plans of the Cold War intended as a shield against the Soviet arsenal.
“I would hope that we can move from the conceptual level to some more specific proposals,” she said, referring to proposals put to Russia by the United States last October.
Those proposals included allowing Russian officers to inspect the sites involved and a slow-down in deployment until there is a clear Iranian threat.
Russia has voiced dissatisfaction that the proposals have not been elaborated and an anonymous foreign ministry source said on Monday that Russia’s position had not changed.
Rice also said Washington was ready to respond to Russian calls for talks on replacing START, which runs out next year.
She said the “underpinnings” of any new agreement should not be based on the Cold War rationale of mutually assured destruction.
“I don’t think we have (any) objection to an agreement that might be a formal agreement.... The more important question is what is it you’re going to be formalising?” Rice said.—AFP
