Czar Putin must be really worried about the US missile defense program given how often he and his underlings have been lambasting the expansion of the program to include US allies in Europe and Asia.  I can't but help to wonder if their nuclear forces are less capable than we currently believe if they are this worked up over a system that is currently aimed at small scale threats ike Iran and North Korea.  More likely they see it as a counter to any potential nuclear blackmail they may need to try in the future given the rather pathetic state of Russia's conventional forces.  If you can defend against a limited attack you can only threaten a general attack that will result in your destruction as well, so they want to impede any missile defense efforts that will limit their options.  Nations act in self interest first and foremost, and Russia is no exception, but she should recogonize that she has very limited weight on the international scene in this day and age.

From the Japan Times: Russia opposes Japan missile defense.

     MOSCOW (Kyodo) Russia is concerned about the Japan-U.S. project to develop a missile defense system, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in a recent interview.

     The project is "a subject of concern from our side," Lavrov said Friday in a written response to questions prior to his visit to Japan later this month.

     "We are opposed to the construction of a missile defense system aimed at securing military superiority," he said in Russian, arguing the system could be directed at Russian and Chinese strategic arms.

     It is believed to be the first time Lavrov has publicly expressed strong concern over the U.S.-Japan defense system.

     Of course left unsaid in all this is that moscow has maintained a missile defense system since the 1960's and updates it regularly to deal with new threats.  It is ok for them to defend themselves but not for anyone else.  That is typical Russian chauvanism, one that clouds their view of the world and creates a lot of problems for them internationally on issues like this.  Putin needs to realize that Russia will never be a superpower and that no matter how much wealth he is able to bring into the country by selling off its natural resources he will never be able to match the west in terms of economic, military and political might.  Then maybe we could be free of all the hypocritical blather eminating from Moscow these days.

Posted by: raging tachikoma at 12:11 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 421 words, total size 3 kb.