Alexander Vershbow Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs
Alexander Vershbow, ASD of International Security Affairs, spoke on Wednesday about the effect of the recent developments in the European Missile Defense Plan. He believes that discussions with Bulgaria and Romania about future missile sites should not have a long-lasting adverse affect on US-Russia negotiations. Vershbow said that the Russians have know about the possibility of both nations cooperation and should not be surprised by either. He also hoped that cooperation on dealing with Iran’s growing nuclear capability.
The United States has a long way to go before Russia overcomes deeply entrenched skepticism of its missile defense plans, but that does not threaten efforts to “reset” relations, a Pentagon official said on Wednesday.
Moscow has repeatedly demanded clarification from Washington as U.S. missile defense plans in Europe take shape, voicing surprise at Romania’s February offer to host interceptor missiles.
News that Bulgaria expressed a willingness to also play a role further raised alarms.
Alexander Vershbow, assistant defense secretary for international security affairs, said that Washington had not asked Bulgaria to host any missile shield elements so far. He added that Moscow knew last year Romania was a possible site.
“So we don’t believe that this was as big a surprise as it has sometimes been portrayed,” he told Reuters.
Vershbow said Washington would continue to “lay down the facts” to convince Moscow that its missile defense plans were not aimed at Russia, and instead focused on countries like Iran.
“We still have a long way to go. Skepticism in Russia is still deeply entrenched. And we’ve seen it in public statements in recent weeks. But we’ll continue to engage,” Vershbow said.
Asked what the U.S. might be able to do differently to assuage Russia, Vershbow said: “I don’t think we have any new techniques. We will continue to engage, lay down the facts, try to address the Russian arguments on a substantive basis.”
U.S. President Barack Obama rolled out a revised European missile defense strategy in September that focuses more on Iranian short- and medium-range missiles. U.S. officials have expressed hope that Russia might eventually play a role in the strategy.
Russia’s most powerful politician, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, and other officials have questioned the strategy and called it an obstacle to a successor to the 1991 START nuclear arms reduction pact, under negotiation for months.
COOPERATION ON IRAN
Vershbow rejected the argument, advanced by some analysts, that tensions over Obama’s anti-missile system jeopardize efforts to reset relations with Moscow that were often strained under the Bush administration.
“While I think there are concerns that the Russians may raise going forward … we don’t think this is a threat to the reset,” he said.
“There is a lot of good things going on in the bilateral relationship. So it’s still a work in progress. But I think the reset worked and now we’re trying to build a more cooperative, substantive relationship,” Vershbow said.
He pointed to increased cooperation in a number of areas, including Iran, as Washington pushes for tough new sanctions over Tehran’s nuclear program.
Russia — which wields a veto in the United Nations Security Council — has been deeply disappointed by Tehran’s refusal to send uranium abroad for enrichment in Russia. The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Iran could face harsher measures if it failed to dispel fears about its nuclear program.
The United States has expanded land- and sea-based missile defense systems in and around the Gulf, in what Vershbow called “a deterrent, a potential defense against Iranian attacks.”
“And I think this takes on new importance as the international community’s efforts to persuade Iran to accept a political solution to the nuclear issue are running into difficulties and we’re moving toward the pressure track, and in particular toward the preparation of (sanctions),” he said.
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