Russia accepts Obama’s hand of friendship as Iran demands apology

Wednesday, January 28: Barack Obama's recent diplomatic advances towards countries traditionally hostile to America has prompted a positive response from Russia but a less encouraging reaction from Iran.

Today, Russia announced that it planned to scrap controversial missile bases in Kaliningrad, near Poland. But the Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, also speaking today, said the US must apologise for past crimes against his country before Iran and America can start building the sort of "mutual respect" Obama has called for.

Russia's plans to scrap the Kaliningrad missile base from where nuclear-capable Iskander missiles could be launched has been taken as a clear sign that it wants to develop a better relationship with America. The move comes after Obama declared that he would review the missile defence shield the US had planned to build – to the anger of Russia – in central Europe and after a phone conversation with Russian president Dimitri Medvedev on Monday. A Kremlin spokesman said those discussions had "touched on the necessity of developing cooperation and coordination between Russia and the USA".

Today a Russian official told the state news agency Interfax: "Russia does not need to deploy Iskanders in the Kaliningrad region if the US does not install its missile defence facilities in eastern Europe."

Writing in the Guardian, Richard Norton-Taylor says scrapping the missiles is an important move: "It should be the beginning of a thaw, a significant step towards a more grown-up relationship between the US and Russia… Now perhaps quid pro quo can replace tit-for-tat."

In the London Times, Richard Beeston says the plan will benefit both Russia and America hugely. "Russia is more rattle than sabre. Its military is outdated. Its economy is reeling. It faces huge social problems… The Kremlin needs all the friends it can get." Furthermore, if Russia and America can work together, Iran's nuclear projects – largely funded by Moscow – may be halted, he says. And with Russia on side, it is feasible that a UN-sanctioned international force may pluck up the courage to tackle Robert Mugabe – a move constantly vetoed by Russia.

In the wake of Obama's inauguration, Iran has so far been less conciliatory. Speaking at a rally broadcast on Iranian television today, an aggressive Ahmadinejad said: "Those who say they want to make change, this is the change they should make: they should apologise to the Iranian nation and try to make up for their dark background and the crimes they have committed against the Iranian nation." Such crimes include most notably, trying to prevent Iran from developing its nuclear programme.

International observers have said that it would be in Ahmadinejad's interests to develop stronger ties with America, both economically and for the sake of re-election by a population that is increasingly frustrated by their government's rejection of diplomatic and trade ties with the West.

As brash he was towards Obama, Ahmadinejad had stronger words to direct at George Bush, who "has gone into the trash can of history with a very black and shameful file full of treachery and killings," he said. "He left and, God willing, he will go to hell."

FIRST POSTED JANUARY 28, 2009