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Re: Proposal - US-Russian negotiations

Released on 2012-10-16 17:00 GMT

Email-ID 2665616
Date 2011-09-05 23:09:47
Ops is on board

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T


From: Lauren Goodrich <>
Date: Mon, 5 Sep 2011 15:30:59 -0500 (CDT)
To: Analyst List<>; OpCenter<>
Subject: Proposal - US-Russian negotiations

Link: themeData

I've been discussing this issue with a lot of people here, so there is a
lot of intel in this discussion:


For the next two weeks, there will be a series of intense negotiations
between the US and Russia over the issue of missile defense. The talks are
between Russian Deputy Foreign Minster Sergey Ryabkov and US Under
Secretary of State Ellen Tauscher. These talks will define the
Moscow-Washington relationship for the near-future. But while the US and
Russia are trying to find an agreement, the Central Europeans are looking
for ways to sabotage any cooperation and bring the US into a more
aggressive stance against Russia.


. NEGOTIATIONS: Russia and the US are in talks about whether there
should be cooperation on bmd between the two. As we have been discussing,
the US is planning on expanding missile defense into Central Europe. The
US vows that this is not against/targeting Russia. Russia is looking for
the US to prove it by allowing the US and Russian systems to be
integrated. Russia does have a point that the US system would be stronger
if integrated into the Russian one. But the US instead has offered to
"share information" instead of integrate the systems-which is unacceptable
to Russia. So the talks between Ryabkov and Tauscher are to come to an
agreement one way or another.

. THE ANNOUNCEMENT: The results of these negotiations are to be
announced at some sort of upcoming joint statement on missile defense.
This statement will be made either at upcoming defense ministers meeting,
the NATO -Russia Council or the Obama-Medvedev summit this fall. The
statement is key to where Russia-US relations stand. If the statement is
about cooperation on missile defense, but not integration-then Russia lost
in the talks, and will retaliate. If it is about integration on some level
- then the US caved in order to save its "reset", but then the Central
Europeans will feel betrayed.

. RETALIATION: If Russia loses in the talks, the Kremlin has already
indicated what it will do next. Our favorite Kremlin hawk, Rogozin, was
the one railing on missile defense this past week. Within his colorful
commentary, he said that he would be making a trip to Iran just after the
Ryabkov-Tauscher talks conclude. Meaning, what he does in Iran depends on
how the talks go. Of course, as we have been discussing, this is not to
say that Iran wants Rogozin and whatever he brings. But it is Russia's
threat nonetheless.

. THE CENTRAL EUROPEAN WRENCH: Watching these talks very closely are
the Central Europeans. The CEs are the location for missile defense
expansion. By Russia's argument, should they be included and integrated
into the system, the expansion is unnecessary. But the CEs don't want
missile defense for missile defense purposes. They want it to have US
military on their soil. They see it as protection against Russia, so
integrating Russia into the system undermines why they want missile
defense to begin with. Many CEs are concerned that the US may betray its
promise of missile defense in CE in order to save the so-called "reset" at
this time-which doesn't mean that the US couldn't go forward with missile
defense plans sans Russia in the future. That is why countries like
Romania are coming out and discussing missile defense a lot right now.
Moreover, other CEs that aren't a part of the missile defense plans are
looking for other guarantees from the US-such as the Czechs want F16s
(would like to do a separate piece on this, I think-will talk to Nate).
The CEs simply want security guarantees from the US-whether missile
defense or others things like F16s or lillypads.

BOTTOM LINE: US and Russia are in serious talks that will define the
relationship between the countries for the next year. Right now, the
Russians are not happy thus far with the talks - hence the Iran chatter.
Also, the CEs don't want a resolution or cooperation. They want the US to
jump onto their plans to counter Russia. But the talks taking place now
will define the relationship between everyone in the short term.

Lauren Goodrich
Senior Eurasia Analyst
T: 512.744.4311
F: 512.744.4334