In a Reuters article by Darya Korsunskaya, Russia's Putin warns against intimidating Iran, Vladimir Putin announced Wednesday that talk of sanctions against Iran is premature, and that time to look for a compromise should be given. Putin is referring to Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and the imposing sanctions that other world super powers wish to impose on them.
Russia’s Connection to Iran
In order to understand why Putin and Russia are protecting Iran, analysis of the post collapse Russia is in order. After the fall of the Soviet Empire in 1991, Russia had no economy, high unemployment, no significant natural resources, and no money. The one thing they did have in multitudes was nuclear and conventional weapons and technology.
According to a CRS Issue Brief for Congress dated April 12, 2002, “When the Soviet Union collapsed in late 1991, it reportedly possessed more than 27,000 nuclear weapons,” and Wikipedia reports that as of 2008 Russia still had 5,200 nuclear weapons in its possession.
Recognizing that it had sellable resources, Russia struck a deal with Iran to sell them weapons and nuclear technology. In a www.globalpolitician.com article by Natalya Hmelik dated 3/27/06, “Last November Russia signed $1bn contract for export of weapons to Iran.” The story goes on to say that Russia had also resumed the construction of the nuclear power station in Bushehr, Iran, and that Russian universities had admitted Iranian student to study nuclear physics since 1999.
Russia’s Need for Oil
Additionally, Iran has some controlling interest in the world’s largest known oil deposits. Being among the five Caspian countries, Iran has a great deal of oil to sell. Russia needs oil and petroleum products to operate. Here again one country has a resource and the other a need for that resource. Recently the U.S. and other European countries are in talks with other Caspian countries about building an oil and gas supply pipeline which would bypass Russia.
An msnbc.com report, Putin warns U.S. against military action on Iran states, “Moscow strongly opposes U.S.- and European-backed efforts to build pipelines to deliver Central Asian and Caspian oil and gas to the West by bypassing Russia, through which all the region’s pipelines now flow.”
Iran also has limited refining ability. Russia accommodates Iran by refining their oil and then selling gasoline back to them. The supply pipelines are Russia’s lifelines.
Putin’s Rhetoric Buys Iran Time
The argument can be made that Russia has a great deal riding on its relationship with Iran and that Vladimir Putin will do all he can to protect his interests and those of his country. Ultimately he is buying time for the completion of the Bushehr nuclear facility. As stated in Natalya Hmelik’s report, “So far, all we have seen suggest that Iran uses Russia to win time.”
This is the time Iran needs to complete its nuclear arms. The use for those weapons is not clear, but as stated previously by Iranian President Ahmedinejad, he would like to “wipe Israel off the map” according to Hmelik. The article, Iran's Latest Nuclear Surprise, outlines some of Ahmedinejad’s potential uses for nuclear weapons.
Sources:
in.reuters.com
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/9580.pdf
en.wikipedia.org
www.globalpolitician.com
www.msnbc.msn.com
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