Oleg Rozhkov, the deputy director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s security affairs and disarmament department, said Moscow would only consider sanctions aimed at strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation regime.
“Call them what you want – crippling or paralysing – we are not got going to work on sanctions or measures which could lead to the political or economic or financial isolation of this country,” Mr Rozhkov said.
When asked what sanctions Russia might be able to support, he said: “Those that are directed at resolving non-proliferation questions linked to Iran’s nuclear programme.”
“What relation to non-proliferation is there in forbidding banking activities with Iran? This is a financial blockade. And oil and gas. These sanctions are aimed only at paralysing the country and paralysing the regime,” he said.
The Obama administration pretended their abandonment of missile defense was an example of smart, nuanced, foreign policy realism. But it was just a retreat in the face of Russian bluster.
UPDATE: I will give credit to the Obama administration for working to make up for their Bush plan cancellation with more modest air defenses:
"The Defense Ministry expects the first stage of the stationing of a Patriot air-defense battery and a 100-man service team to get under way in the [northern] town of Morąg at the turn of April," stated the agency.
Of course, this is good from an alliance perspective, but still provides no protection to the United States, which the Bush plan would have addressed, as well as defending Europe.
The Russians, it goes without saying, aren't happy with this development either.
