If Russia continues to support Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, it does not bode well for cooperation between Russia and the West on missile defense or any other security matter of a strategic nature.

There is a fundamental disconnect between the West and Russia on the issue of missile defense, based on an outdated and incomplete understanding of the strategic environment and each other.

Russia’s immediate reaction to the International Atomic Energy Agency's report on Iran indicates its reluctance to give in to further pressure on Tehran from the West, as the Kremlin reiterated its policy of finding a diplomatic resolution to the impasse.