The US and Russia: Iran and Nuclear Weapons

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In The Media

The US and Russia: Iran and Nuclear Weapons

At the top of Secretary Clinton's agenda during her visit to Russia is a discussion of Iran's nuclear ambitions. Conflicting messages from President Medvedev and Foreign Minister Lavrov leave the outcome of that discussion in doubt.

By James F. Collins

Published on Oct 15, 2009

Source: NPR's To the Point

At the United Nations on September 23, Russian President Medvedev was asked about Iran developing the capacity to build nuclear weapons. ”In some cases” he said,” sanctions are inevitable.” But in Moscow, standing beside visiting Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said sanctions would be “counterproductive.”

Iran's nuclear ambition heads the top of Secretary Clinton's agenda while in Russia. Also on her agenda is renewing the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, which expires in December, a major goal of President Obama.

Ambassador James Collins spoke with host Warren Olney and guests Andrei Piontkovsky of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Binoy Kampark of RMIT University and James Kitfield, National Security Correspondent at the National Journal about U.S.-Russian relations and the domestic realities that could impede progress in reaching an international consensus.

About the Author

James F. Collins

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Russia and Eurasia Program; Diplomat in Residence

Ambassador Collins was the U.S. ambassador to the Russian Federation from 1997 to 2001 and is an expert on the former Soviet Union, its successor states, and the Middle East.

Recent Work

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Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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