As President Dmitry Medvedev prepares to attend the United Nations General Assembly and the G20 summit in the United States this week, he has an important opportunity to demonstrate a cooperative, forward-looking Russian role on several key issues. The timing could not be more critical. There are a number of converging challenges in Russia’s relationship with the West that urgently need attention from both sides, even though U.S. Vice President Joe Biden’s declaration last year that it was time to push the “reset” button on U.S.-Russian relations has been followed by progress on Strategic Arm Reduction Treaty negotiations and U.S. President Barack Obama’s decision last week to ditch a European missile defense shield.
Iran is the most pressing matter for the West and Russia. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s assertion on Sept. 10 that “the sanctions under discussion … are not a mechanism to force Iran to cooperate” reflects continued Russian skepticism toward applying real pressure on Iran over its nuclear program. Whether or not this is posturing, Medvedev must reject the possibility of Tehran acquiring a nuclear weapon. While Moscow may continue to suggest that Iran’s nuclear program is not a direct threat to its national security, the fact remains that much of the Middle East, Europe and the United States consider the threat to be material.
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