President Obama Seeks Russian Help on Iran, But No Deal in Place

While President Obama is seeking assistance and cooperation with Russia in diffusing the Iran nuclear threat, he is denying that he offered a deal to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. An earlier report in the New York times indicated that a letter from Obama to Medvedev indicated a willingness to back off planned U.S. missile shields in exchange for cooperation on the Iran nuclear issue, but Obama is denying the report. According to Obama, "What I said in the letter is what I have said publicly, which is that the missile defense that we have talked about deploying is directed toward, not Russian, but Iran."

Obama went on to note that, "Obviously, to the extent that we are lessening Iran's commitment to nuclear weapons, then that reduces the pressure for, or the need for a missile defense system." If that sounds like equivocation, it just may be, but the point is valid nonetheless, as the U.S. it doubtless more concerned about nuclear threats from rogue nations than from Russia. For his part, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates noted that the U.S. wanted to open a new dialogue with Russia on the Iran Issue.

Said Gates, referring to the planned missile defense shields in Eastern Europe, "If working with our allies and working with Russia we can eliminate the threat, then you eliminate the driving force behind that system to combat that threat." On the Russian side, President Medvedev is playing coy and has noted that he sees the missile defense and Iran issues as separate.