Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Oy! Russia!

First off, the Russians decline extraditing Lugovoi, the current prime suspect int he killing of Litvinenko:

Russia has formally refused to extradite the man suspected of murdering former agent Alexander Litvinenko with radioactive polonium-210, British prosecutors said Tuesday.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown's office said the Russian position was "extremely disappointing" and said he was considering options in response.

Prosecutors spurned a Russian offer to try the suspect, former KGB agent and Russian businessman Andrei Lugovoi, in Russia.

"Russia is an important partner on many issues and we continue to seek a constructive relationship with them — but we need to carefully consider our range of cooperation," said a spokesman for Brown, briefing reporters on condition of anonymity in line with government policy.

"Russia has to accept they have responsibilities too. We do continue to seek a constructive relationship with Russia but this is a serious matter and we have to consider a range of options."


Continuing on, Russia will veto the UN Kosovo plan:

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday that any resolution on Kosovo unacceptable to Serbia would not pass in the UN Security Council, where Russia holds a veto.

"Any solution is possible on the basis of agreement by both sides involved. Lavrov said after a meeting in Bishkek of foreign ministers from member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. "Any other decision cannot make it through the Security Council."

Lavrov did not specifically say that Russia would use its veto power, but his statement was the strongest indication yet that Russia would shoot down any resolution calling for Kosovo's independence from Serbia.

Russia is also saying that the American BMD site in Europe will affect Central Asia and more specifically the SCO:

U.S. plans to deploy missile defenses in Central Europe may affect the situation in Asia, the Russian foreign minister said Monday.

"We have not discussed specifically the situation around the U.S. missile shield in Europe, but we realize that this region [Central Asia] will certainly feel the consequences of these unilateral actions," Sergei Lavrov said at a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in the capital of Kyrgyzstan.

[...]

Meanwhile, a Russian first deputy prime minister said Sunday Russia proposed to create a global missile defense system by 2020.

"We are proposing to create a single missile defense system for all participants with equal access to the system's control," Sergei Ivanov said in a televised interview with the Vesti Nedeli program on the Rossiya television channel.

Ivanov said the proposal applied both to the United States and European countries, including neutral states like Austria, Finland and Sweden.

While at the same time stating that they want a global, all encompassing BMD by 2020...just so long as the US is not in charge and Russia can have some control over it. hm.

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