Dimitri Simes, president of the Nixon Center and publisher of The National Interest, has written an important piece for Time Magazine that criticizes the Obama administration’s diplomatic approach to Russia and warns that these mistakes will complicate U.S. negotiations with the Islamic Republic.
Simes argues that the United States’ clumsy, bipolar Russia policy will make it much more difficult to elicit Russian support for further sanctions on Iran. He cites Vice President Biden’s statement last week that “the process of Georgia’s deeper integration into NATO is very important” as well as Secretary Clinton’s failure to meet Prime Minister Putin while in Russia.
Simes’ argument is well taken, but my question is whether even the most adept American diplomacy could persuade the Russians to support sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
It appears that Russia’s strategic interest in a healthy relationship with Iran is worth more than anything Washington is prepared to offer.
– Ben Katcher
