Delovoi Vtornik: "What Trumps Does Obama Have?"

Boston Globe: "During the autumn campaign, Joe Biden ruminated aloud about a foreign policy challenge that a President Obama would have to confront early on." This challenge came even earlier than he had thought. To check Barack Obama's intentions, and probably even his boldness, Russia has declared its intention to complete the sale of modern air defence systems to Iran. This deal was launched and suspended several times.

They (Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin - Ed.) want to show Obama that they have major trumps, and that if he hopes for cooperation on the Iranian problem, they expect him to make concessions. First, they want him to cancel George W. Bush's plan to deploy missile defence systems in Poland and the Czech Republic, which has already given rise to many questions. Second, they want Obama to give up on Bush's intention to expand NATO by admitting Georgia and Ukraine.

Russia also needs to reach a consensus on three arms control agreements signed either during or immediately after the Cold War. Bush did not want to extend START-I, which has reduced the number of offensive strategic weapons. This agreement expires on December 5 of next year, and Russia wants to prolong it.

There is a good omen that may help Obama resolve problems with Moscow. Republican Senator for Indiana Richard Lugar, a member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, and Henry Kissinger recently held top level talks in Moscow. Lugar met his colleague from the Russian Duma, while Kissinger talked with Medvedev and Putin.

Apparently, they will tell Obama about the Kremlin's terms for restoring the relations that deteriorated to a dangerous level under Bush.

Lidia Bukina