Obama, Medvedev, and Missile Defense

Emily Rector / July 16, 2009

As President Obama and Russian President Medvedev met in Moscow July 6-8, arms control and missile defense were key issues. Both sides agreed to a preliminary framework for a treaty to replace the START Treaty, which expires in December. However, since before Obama arrived in Moscow, President Medvedev has been tying arms control to the U.S.’s abandoning of the third site in Europe. The third site, a missile defense system proposed by President Bush, includes ten interceptors in Poland and a radar in the Czech Republic to protect our allies in Europe against the growing Iranian missile threat. This missile defense system would also, and very importantly, protect the United States from the Iranian threat. (more…)