http://features.csmonitor.com/globalnews/2...e-sale-to-iran/რუსეთი აწვდის იარაღს ირანს, ამაზეა ისრაელი შეშფოთებული.
სტატიაში გამოთქმულია ვარაუდი, რომ რუსეთმა შესაძლოა აღარ ითანამშრომლოს ირანთან ამ საკითხზე, თუკი ისრაელი შეწყვეტს საქართველოს დახმარებას სამხედრო სფეროში.
MOSCOW – Are Russia and Israel cutting a strategic deal aimed at undermining their respective foes, Georgia and Iran?
In a week that will see a crucial summit between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Barack Obama, and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, and intense discussion about Iran’s alleged drive to obtain nuclear weapons in advance of multi-power talks set for Oct. 1, few may be paying much attention to recent moves involving Russia.
But speculation is cranked high in Moscow, after President Dmitry Medvedev admitted in a weekend CNN interview that Mr. Netanyahu paid a secret visit to the Kremlin on Sept. 7. It followed off-the-record talks between the Russian president and his Israeli counterpart Shimon Peres at Mr. Medvedev’s vacation home in Sochi in August.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu came to Moscow,” Medvedev told CNN. “He did this under a closed regime, this was his decision. I don’t understand what this was connected with, but sometimes our partners decide it this way,” he added, offering no details.
Cooperation between Russia and Israel has grown in recent years, including recent Russian arms purchases from Israel, and many former Soviet Jewish emigrés have returned to Russia to take advantage of exploding job opportunities and the apparent easing of anti-Semitism in the country.
Russian missile sale would ’signal war’
No one knows for sure what was discussed in the high-level meetings between Israeli and Russian leaders, but experts say the only subject that would warrant such urgent top-level shuttle diplomacy is Russia’s outstanding contract to provide ultramodern S-300 air-defense systems to Iran.
The latest version of the weapon, known as the “Favorit”, can simultaneously engage 12 targets flying at any altitude from about 30 feet to 20 miles, and strike them at a range of up to 75 miles away.
Russia and Iran signed a contract for the weapons two years ago, but Russia has yet to deliver.
There was speculation earlier this month that the Arctic Sea cargo ship, hijacked off Sweden’s coast on July 28, was secretly delivering S-300 missiles to Iran. Russia’s foreign minister publicly denied the media reports.A report this week in the Israeli daily Haaretz suggested that the main purpose of Netanyahu’s secret visit to the Kremlin was an effort to persuade Russian leaders to hold off on providing the missiles to Iran, and it added that Israel has asked all its friends in the West to put pressure on Moscow to cancel the sale.
at Israel can offer in return
But what can Israel offer in return? Russian experts say Israel’s close military cooperation with Georgia, the tiny pro-Western Caucasus state with which Russia fought a war last year, suggests a logical trade-off.Already, there is a precedent for Russia backing off on foreign arms sales in exchange for Israeli cooperation on Georgia.
One of the weapons Israel provided to Georgia, along with training for Georgian troops, was unmanned drones – an increasingly popular, hi-tech battlefield tool that Russia is far behind on developing.
This past spring, Moscow halted progress on the sale of advanced fighter planes to Syria in exchange for the opportunity to buy unmanned drones from Israel, according to the Jerusalem Post.
But while the precedent for Israeli-Russian cooperation is clear, it is unknown what another such deal would include.
Medvedev revealed no change of heart on Iran sanctions
In his CNN interview, Medvedev offered few clues to suggest that Russia’s position, which has been to resist tough sanctions against Iran, might be changing.
He scolded Iran, saying it must cooperate with the international community in its drive to acquire nuclear technology, but also suggested that Israel was overreacting to the threat of Russian S-300 missiles.
“Supplies of any weapons, especially defensive weapons, cannot increase tension; on the contrary, they should ease it,” he said.
And he suggested Russia would oppose any Israeli military strike against Iran.
“This is the worst thing that can be imagined,” Medvedev said. “What would happen after that? Humanitarian disaster, a vast number of refugees, Iran’s wish to take revenge - and not only upon Israel, to be honest, but upon other countries as well.
“But my Israeli colleagues told me they were not planning to act in this way, and I trust them,” Medvedev added.
This post has been edited by carlito on 23 Sep 2009, 12:36
რუსეთ-ისრაელის გარიგება და საქართველო, ნეთანიაჰუს ვიზიტის დეტალები
