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04.10.2009 Foreign Policy in Review September, 2009 The following resource is meant to quickly introduce the reader to Russia's relations with other countries (excluding most of Eurasia, which has its own review). For more news reviews, see the newsletter for this corresponding month. To receive SRAS's free monthly newsletter and obzori by email, simply sign up.   Asia Russian President Signs China-Style Energy Deals With Mongolia Russia seems to have learned from China, judging from the deals Russian President Dmitri Medvedev has signed in Mongolia.   Commentary A Realistic Reset with Russia - Practical expectations for U.S.-Russian relations Meeting for the first time in London on April 1, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and U.S. President Barack Obama declared in their joint statement they were "ready to move beyond Cold War mentalities and chart a fresh start in relations between [the] two countries."   Int'l Alliances/Organizations Address to the 64th Session of the UN General Assembly A review of President Dimtri Medvedev's speech at the UN General Assembly in New York. The Global Summits: The U.S. and Russia U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitri Medvedev are slated to meet Sept. 23 on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. Previous meetings between the two have ended on what sounded like positive notes, though in reality tensions between Russia and the United States have grown. Speech at Summit of UN Security Council Member-States on Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Russian President Dmitri Medvedev delivered speech to UN Security Council Member-States. News Conference following G20 Summit Let me share with you my impressions of the summit. I want to say immediately that in my view we have achieved everything that we set out to accomplish. The results are there for all to see. Of course the most important thing we've done is discuss ways to overcome the global crisis and to construct a new, more up-to-date financial architecture. Russia's diminishing role in G20 calls for new allies The G20's transformation into the main global economic forum is explained by new economic and political realities; however, Russia will have less of a say in the G20.     NATO  Lack of threat from Russia stumps NATO - analyst The lack of a genuine threat from Russia makes it far harder for NATO to decide on its polices than during the Cold War Russia Seeks Afghan War Role as NATO Deaths Climb Russia is seeking a role in planning NATO's war in Afghanistan two decades after Soviet forces were ejected from the country Deputy Minister A.V. Grushko Interview on Russia-NATO Cooperation An interview with Russia's foreign minister about their relationship with NATO after the August 2008 conflict. NATO chief reaches out to Russia Nato's Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has called for a new strategic partnership with Russia. Ten Years of Anti-NATO Exercises by Russian and Belarusian Armed Forces The official publication of the Russian ministry of defense Krasnaya Zvezda announced the beginning of the second phase of Zapad 2009, a large-scale combined arms exercise conducted in Belarus.   Middle East Russia confirms talks on arms deliveries to Saudi Arabia Russia and Saudi Arabia are holding talks on military-technical cooperation, which may include sales of military equipment Netanyahu mystery trip sets off flap in Israel Israel's Prime Minister secretly visited Russian leadership in Moscow to voice concerns of possible weapon sales to Iran. Medvedev signals openness to Iran sanctions after talks Russian President Dmitry Medvedev met Wednesday with U.S. President Barack Obama, then signaled he could support sanctions against Iran over its efforts to develop a nuclear weapon. US-Russian sanctions would put pressure on Iran A unified U.S.-Russian stance on sanctions against Iran would put added pressure on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to yield some ground on his nation's nuclear program. Russia urges restraint on Iran Russia is urging restraint from the international community after a series of Iranian missile launches, a Foreign Ministry source told Interfax news agency on Monday. 'Informal' Caspian Summit Opening In Kazakhstan, But Iran Not Invited The leaders of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan are gathering in the Caspian coastal city of Aktau, Kazakhstan's main Caspian port. But they represent only four of the five Caspian littoral states. The fifth, Iran, has not been invited.   Military Lawmakers OK Kremlin bill on military force abroad Russian lawmakers have given preliminary approval to a Kremlin bill expanding the legal reasons to deploy Russian troops abroad. The New Model Army: Still Equipped with Soviet-era Weapons Russia's military reform effort has so far failed to come to terms with the Russian military's lack of modern weapons and equipment.   Missiles Robert Gates, A Better Missile Defense for a Safer Europe Robert Gates speaks about the Obama Administration's new proposal for European missile defense. Nearly Half of Poles Approve of Scrapping Missile Shield Some 48 percent of Poles say they approve of US President Barack Obama's decision to scrap plans for a missile shield in their country and the neighboring Czech Republic, a survey showed Saturday. Obama Missile Decision May Smooth U.S.-Russia Arms Talks President Obama's decision to scrap a planned missile defense system that had infuriated Russia is expected to produce one quick payback: smoother talks between the two nuclear giants on renegotiating their most important arms-reduction treaty. Russia-NATO joint missile defense seen years away The broad concept of joint missile defense between the West and Russia dates back at least a decade but has not progressed beyond the theoretical despite a handful of Russia-NATO command post exercises held in recent years to explore the challenges. Fareed Zakaria, A Return to Reality. Missile defense wasn't the answer The United States recently canceled the mission defense system program, and Russia was in strong support. But what impact could it have on other USA-European relations? Mark Brzezinski, Now, 'Reset' With the Poles and Czechs President Obama's decision on missile defense gives Washington more options, and militarily it is more consistent with the threats we face. Russia Says Its Missile Plans In Europe Not Shelved Russia's top general said on Monday that plans to deploy missiles in an enclave next to Poland had not been shelved, despite a decision by the United States to rethink plans for missile defense in Europe. Why Europe welcomes US missile defense shield decision With President Barack Obama facing Republican charges that backing off a missile shield in eastern Europe is appeasing Russia and abandoning Poland, European officials are strongly applauding the American decision. Medvedev Asks Nuclear Nations to Join Russia, U.S. in Arms Cuts Russian President Dmitry Medvedev called on countries with declared and undeclared stocks of nuclear weapons to join Russia and the U.S. to reduce their atomic arsenals. Mikhail Gorbachev, Two First Steps on Nuclear Weapons YESTERDAY, President Obama presided over the United Nations Security Council meeting that passed a resolution seeking to strengthen the international commitment to limiting the spread of nuclear weapons. Pentagon Checks Arsenal in Race for Nuclear Treaty With the clock ticking on a year-end deadline, President Obama is pressing ahead with a top-to-bottom review of America's nuclear weapons to see how much the arsenal can shrink, as his negotiators are racing to wrap up a major new strategic arms control treaty with Russia. Grigory Yavlinsky: no discords in the tandem The head of the General Staff of Russia's Armed Forces Nikolai Makarov expressed his certainty that the US can build a new ABM system only in cooperation with Russia. The only thing left is to get Washington's agreement for this.   US U.S. military planes take to Russian skies American military planes will soon be seen above Russia after a new transit agreement with the U.S. came into force. It allows America to airlift military equipment to Afghanistan via Russian airspace. Russian Pundits Comment on US Strategy Russian political analysts agree with the description of Russia as the USA's partner and at the same time as a country capable of complicating its interests. This description was given in the new US intelligence strategy. Russia, US improve ties: Lavrov Moscow and Washington can see a marked improvement in mutual ties as past mistrust is swept aside, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an article published Tuesday, pledging renewed efforts for a new nuclear arms reduction deal. Clinton's Russia visit unlikely to lead to breakthrough - expert. (Alexei Arbatov) The U.S. secretary of state's upcoming visit to Russia is unlikely to lead to a resumption in deadlocked relations between the two countries, a Moscow-based expert said on Wednesday. U.S. Stance Toward Russia Again Divides Europe Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, new fissures are emerging between Western and Eastern Europe — this time over President Obama's policy toward Russia, according to an international survey European Split On Russia Threatens U.S. Policy While the U.S. is actively trying to change its relationship with Russia, unified support from Europe could be hard to obtain. Russia, Plagued by Heroin Use, to Press U.S. on Destroying Afghan Poppy Crops During talks with his American counterpart, Russia's top drug enforcement official, Viktor P. Ivanov, will press the United States to step up efforts to destroy Afghan poppy cultivation, which he said was feeding a devastating drug problem in Russia. Press Statements following Meeting with US President Barack Obama Excerpts from US President Barack Obama's speech at UN General Council: And I have to say publicly how much I appreciate the excellent working relationship that President Medvedev and I have been able to develop during our meetings, not only bilaterally but also at the various summits that we've attended. Medvedev Meets With UN Sec. Council and Pres. Obama Press release reviewing UN Security Council meeting. We Fight U.S, British Special Services in Mountains Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov believes the U.S. and British special services are involved in the destabilization of the situation in the Caucasus and promises to neutralize the bandits who still remain in Chechnya in the nearest future.   Study Politics in Russia The Library: Politics in Russia SRAS Resources for Teachers   Find out more! 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