NYT: Biden Signals U.S. Is Open to Deal With Russia on Missiles. "Some Western diplomats had expected Mr. Biden to announce a strategic review of the planned missile defense system as a way to defuse tensions between Washington and Moscow. Although Mr. Biden did not go that far, he did leave room in both the speech — and an interview afterward — for unspecified changes in the plan put forward by the Bush administration. ... Foreign policy experts said that the Obama administration was most likely averse to making any outright concessions on the antimissile system just days after the Kyrgyz announcement, fearing it could be interpreted as a sign of weakness. ... The Russian reaction to Saturday’s speech was quick, and favorable. ... Mr. Biden’s remarks came a day after Deputy Prime Minister Sergei B. Ivanov told the same group that Moscow would not deploy missiles on the Polish border if the United States reviewed its missile defense plan."

Posted by Laura at February 7, 2009 09:08 PM