Tony Halpin in Moscow
We've made some changes
to The Sunday Times
President Putin forged an alliance with Iran yesterday against any military action by the West and pledged to complete the controversial Iranian nuclear power plant at Bushehr.
A summit of Caspian Sea nations in Tehran agreed to bar foreign states from using their territory for military strikes against a member country. Mr Putin, the first Kremlin leader to visit Iran since the Second World War, insisted that the use of force was unacceptable.
“It is important . . . that we not only not use any kind of force but also do not even think about the possibility of using force,” he told the leaders of Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.
The declaration of the five states did not specify a particular threat. Rumours have long circulated, however, that the US is seeking Azerbaijan’s permission to use airfields for possible military action to stop Iran from developing a nuclear bomb.
Mr Putin arrived in Tehran for the summit amid tight security after warnings of a plot by suicide bombers to assassinate him. His visit is a propaganda coup for President Ahmadinejad as he faces American and European pressure for tougher United Nations sanctions to halt Iran’s nuclear programme.
Mr Putin and Mr Ahmadinejad met after the summit for private talks. State television in Tehran quoted Mr Putin as saying that Russia would continue to “assist Iran’s peaceful nuclear programme”.
Russia is building Iran’s first atomic power plant in the port city of Bushehr. A row over Iranian payments has slowed down the work, and Mr Putin emerged from yesterday’s meeting without setting a date for the $1 billion (£500 million) project.
However, Russian media later reported that Moscow had promised to complete the work on schedule. “The construction and the commission of Bushehr will be implemented in accordance with the agreed timetable,” the Russian news agency Ria reported, citing the two leaders’ joint statement. Mr Putin also invited Mr Ahmadinejad to Moscow.
Mr Putin said that the Bushehr contract would have to be reviewed to clarify legal matters and the financial obligations of each party. Moscow has delayed delivery of nuclear fuel for the station as part of the dispute.
The Tehran declaration strengthened Moscow’s hostility to any attempt at a military solution. It also offered support for Iran by asserting the right of any country that had signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to develop peaceful nuclear energy “without discrimination”. Tehran insists that its nuclear programme is purely for civil purposes to generate electricity.
The summit was called to try to settle the status of the Caspian among the five states that border the sea. Iran and the former Soviet Union shared it equally but there has been a 16-year dispute over mineral rights since the emergence the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
The leaders failed to reach agreement on dividing the seabed, which is believed to hold the world’s third-largest reserves of oil and gas. They agreed to meet again in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, next year.
Ties that bind
— Gazprom, Russia’s state-controlled energy company, has invested $750 million (£370 million) in projects in Iran
— Russia exports $2 billion of metal and machinery to Iran a year
— Russia has supplied nuclear technology to Iran, including the $1 billion Bushehr reactor
— Russia is a key supplier of arms to Iran, including a $700 million air-defence system, MiG29 combat aircraft and T72 tanks
— Iran’s goodwill is useful for Russia’s attempts to control fractious Muslim minorities in Central Asia and the Caucasus
— Both countries oppose the eastward expansion of Nato
Sources: Council on Foreign Relations; Institute for Defence Studies
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World needs balance and Good to see Putin is trying..Only hope that wont give up easily...speaking about nuclear energy every nation has the right...if USA is afraid of anyone detonating a N. Bomb in one of their cities then they should not create those terror people by their own faulty and bully foreign policy in the first place..a country which is contineously threaten/bullied by USA in everyway has the right to develop N. Arms and if possible counter attack...
Robin, Chiba, japan
It seems to me that this shows how the world is finally fed up with America behaving as if it owns the world and can impose its idealism whereever it likes. The problem is they find it impossible to understand other cultures can exist without American involvement. The country is both financially and morally bankrupt. America is controlled by its money makers, they are the finance behind the Federal Reserve Bank and without thier money there is no America, so who do you think the Pres. and his people listen to? Conflict is good for profit - Peace is good for profit. I know that is one of Star Treks Rules of Acquisition, but just look at how much money is made selling arms to the military during conflict, and how much is made 'rebuilding' the countries they have destroyed! How many 'poor' polititians are there in the western world?
Ron Murch, Milton Keynes, Bucks
Please will people using the 'quote' "a nation that want's to wipe Israel off the face of the earth" this was never said. As I recall the true translation related to the end of the zionist regieme. Iran has the largest Jewish population of any Muslim state and they even have a representitave in parliment.
Nick Fuller, Hereford,
What happens when Israel strikes to take out Iran's nuclear reactor? They have the capability, have done it before and will do it again. In reality, this is about oil and the oil industry. Conflict will have a similar theme from this point on In a world of resource scarcity. Africa has experience this type of war for some time now and its the turn for the west. How will we respond? I do hope that WWIII is avoided.
Phil, London, UK
Its about time that there is a balance of power in the world otherwise we will have another stupid and horible war, killing thousands as in Iraq. How can Americans go around the world and dictate their policies to home nations?
John h, London, UK
Israel is are friend and Israel is our eyes & ears in the middle east! We need to help Israel more so!
Also why is the US just going after Iran we also need to go after Russia too, since they are helping Iran,if that be the case!
We need to bring are Troops Home and regroup on the home front!
Michael Terran, Chicago, US/IL.
the US administration hates Iran and will do whatever it can to keep the pressure on them. Iran has played into their hands by by announcing their wish to wipe Israel off the map. The Iranians need nuclear power for energy since their economy is a one-trick oil pony and they subsidize the cost of gas for their exploding young populace. the US will not allow them to build reactors for this reason, and the fear of a nuclear strike from them plays right into US hands. everyone knows if Iran nukes Israel Iran will be wiped off the map, literally. Iran should be contained as much as possible so the rest of the world can go about the business of getting on with life.
ed, new york, new york
For Tom of NC. you write "If the government won't represent our interests". How exactly is kowtowing to the interests of Israel representing the interests of the US? The US has no useful interest in Israel surviving only an emotional and religious one. China, Russia, India and Brazil don't have the same blind affection for a colony, so they can act in their own interests, the Arabs have oil, Israel doesn't, end of story. If the US and Europe weren't supporting Israel's theft of other people's land there would be no argument with Muslims and hence no support for Muslim extremists. We've taken sides in a war that started in the Bronze Age, and we've taken the wrong side.
John Small, Faversham, UK
Tom from NC, pick up a history book. If you want to "save" Israel, donate all your $$ to them so I won't have to pay my taxes and indirectly support Israel.
Putin is the best leader Russia ever had and the more West hates him, the more Russians will love him...
Dimitri, NY, USA
A bombing will occur if not a all out conventional war in the middle east with in the next two years if not sooner.
With a very possible WW111 looking at every one the world over.
Something will happen military wise towards Iran.
I do not blame G Bush.
But i do blame his overall advisers & cabinet members.
He simply got very very bad advice from his hired help. Simply put he let the monkeys run the zoo in Iraq.
L Clark
Luke C, ST Simonds Island,
I am 64 and what a world we are leaving for our kids and grandkids.If you believe that the Iran Govt. will not develop N/bombs you are living in dreamland.
They will bomb Israel one day, ( that is is the Israelis' don't do it first) and then it will be on for young and old.
People, take your head out of the sand, it is just a matter of time.
I hate war, and have never fought, but boy OH boy I can hear the drums starting...........................
Trev, Sydney, Au.
This is what happens when you put a selfish, narcissistic, and corporate centered President in the white house. Bogged down in Iraq spending billions, while the Russians, Chinese, Venezuelans, Iranians, North Koreans and lord knows who else study our military technology, tactics, capabilities, and plot and plan to topple our great nation. I can't say that I blame them. From their standpoint if our president will unilaterally, against popular world sentiment, attack and conquer a nation (Iraq), and we the people remain silent, then eventually we will do the same to them. The American people are sleep, high on drugs, divided by racism, unable to secure their borders and the rest of the world knows it.
Coming Soon To A Theater Near You, "World War III"
Don Bevel, Selma, US/ Alabama
Paul, Coventry UK,
"Are we missing something here? "
...Russian spy planes have resumed probing flights into Europe and the United Kingdom recently. "
Hm. Paul, may be it is becourse the Europe and the United Kingdom have never stopped flying along the Russian border??? We stopped flying in 1992 and got nothing in exchange.
Alex, Moscow,
It's all about oil.
Putin is number two in the world, Iran is number three. The US action in Iraq has strengthened both dictatorships immeasurably, as it has also handed the number four oil country to Iran (Shiites) through George Bush's invasion to 'bring democracy (or was it theocracy?) to the region.
It was the Shah and Saddam who kept Russian influence in check - now that they are both gone, imaging the impact on the global economy!
Putin has taken in the Western leaders, and they've handed him the region on a plate.
richard block, London,
Lets try a different view on this. Perhaps Mr Putin has decided to try and befriend Iran and get them to moderate their language and behaviour to the West. After all, if Iran is to be friendly with Russia then it is, by proxy, friendly to the West since Russia is a Western style capitalist democracy - ignore the presdient and prime minister thing as Mr Putin has been good for Russia. By being seen to be a bit hostile to the West and by sabre-rattling a bit Mr Putin can show that he is not going to toe the line on everything Europe and America say. This will provide comfort to Iran who neither wants to, nor can it be seen to, give in to Western demands. When it comes down to it Russia and Iran need the West to buy their energy products. Mr Putin may be doing the whole world a huge service here.
PSF, London, UK
I can't stand all this negative reaction to the US. If it wasn't for the U.S. we would probably all be speaking German and all the Jews would be irradicated. The U.S. made the middle east rich by showing them how to get the oil out of the ground. Don't blame the U.S. for the stupidity of the rest of the world. Ahmidinijad wants to destroy Isreal and he has made that perfectly clear. The U.S. isn't in Iraq because we want the oil. If that's all we wanted we could have killed all the inhabitants long ago. Stop being jealous of this country's success and start to realize that we don't want to rule the world, we just want to help free oppressed people. I could go on about this for hours. You know as well as I do that iran wants the bomb and they have proven it in many ways. I am proud to be an American and we are doing the right thing in the Middle East.
Tim Thetford, phoenix, Arizona/USA
If Iran wants nuclear energy, let em have it!! Its apparent to THIS American that most of what I hear about Iran is nothing more than war-mongering nonsense. I'm sure these elected officials are not going to care about Americans when bread is $100 a loaf, milk is $50 a gallon, not when they live in an Ivory tower of their own. Economic disaster is in the cards if we don't stop the violence NOW.
"Oh poor Israel", poor Israel has over 200 nukes of its own!! From the way Israel treats the Palestinians, I fear more for the people of Iran!! Think about it.. who's really going to fire the first nuke off when it surely means their own destruction in retaliation??
Either our USA elected officials are very, very STUPID, or this is being planned. So to Tom in NC, YOU wake up. We already march to the beat of a different drum.. Its called THE BANK and its bought out media and politicians, who have never labored a day in their life or sent their own son or daughter to die in a god-forsaken war.
Timothy, Allentown, USA
i aggree with the terms multipolar that Mr. Daniel Hahn from germany introduced. The world is now on their period to shift their gear, either backward or further. Two choices , one results. Revolve. Backwards , how USA as the only superpower could stabilise the reign of many ambitious states that want to have the arm of "god-like" to be US' counterparts. Forward, the Geopolitic will naturally and organicly moves toward , and there could be awakening of new "soviet" , or perhaps a new " superpower-state " with a brand new ideology from the box , that the world never see before. Truthly speaking , in this almot 20 years america stand as the only superpower, should be more condusive thing that we could imagine if these ambitious countries start arming each other to fight US. My question : How do Britain , as one of the country that clearly have been a superpower before , in the Enlightment era , could face this new era ?! Is it era of victory and glory , or is it an era of terror ?
G putra, cambridge, UK
This is all playing out just as Jesus had predicted in the Bible where He said in Matthew 24: 6 "And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.8 All these are the beginning of sorrows."
The bottom line is, the nukes are a problem but it's the hearts of the men behind them is where the real danger lurks.
John, Poughkeepsie, USA/ NY
Iran needs to be stopped, poor Israel, Iran has bascially said, were making a gun.. and when I have made it i'm going to come around and shoot you..
Adam Webb, MK, UK
Putin is serving a dish that gives us a taste what it might be living in a so called multipolar world.
The multipolar world is like the splitted political landscape of Europe in the middleage tranferred into the world of the 21st century resammbling real and wannabe superpoweres again competing to gain advanteges in the balance of powers.
For my tatse we were better off with the old post cold war world. The US are better controlled and much more reliable than Russia, China or Iran and North Corea. You don't have to love Bush jr. but he is the nicer chap compared to the KGB Putin or Ahmadinejad. Think about it.
Daniel J. Hahn, Eichenau, Bavaria/Germany
I think the world has just become an even more dangerous place than it was already. The cold war looks to be back on and now the stage may have been set for world war 3.
David, Whitchurch, Uk
Fine, let Russia trade with Iran but we need cast iron guarrantees that no nuclear weapons will be developed and peaceful co-existance.
Since this is hard to get, if Pakistan's example is anything to go by, let Russia explain how we should maintain our security.
Any nation that openly threatens other nations should be very carefully handled. I include most Muslim controlled nations in this regard. Read End of Faith by Sam Harris.
b holmes, leeds, uk
Isn't a country allowed to produce power? Just because they have a reactor it doesn't mean Iran are constructing a bomb factory. Every microbe of Enriched Uranium or Plutonium will be accounted for anyway, according to any nuclear guideline treaty. OK so this is a messed up world, but sometimes I think we hunt down Frankenstein's monster with a pitchfork before we realise we never understood him in the first place.
Adam Mills, Cambridge, UK
mitch, Sydney, Australia.
I wonder what bed Australia's Prime Minister is sleeping in these days? And why it doesn't bother anybody? I am not sure about Israel, but Iraq as a country is on the verge to be swept away from the Earth surface. And Australians are taking some part in this process. We definetely should keep an eye on Australia! Why Australia in Iraq and Afganistran anyways?
Oleg, Toronto, Canada
I find it reassuring that President Putin is supporting Iran. A world in which only the American or Anglo-American opinion prevails is going to be an uncomfortable place for most people to live in. We need an alternative and this Iranian affair illustrates the point. Iran says it s development of nuclear power is benign and America contradicts this position. Who is to say which is true? The situation is thus fraught, and all sorts of belligerent threats are made. Enter Russia with a third party proposition and the situation is deflated from a possible war between America and Iran. With the ending of the Cold War it seems we need at least a Cold Peace.
Henry Percy, London, UK
Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 the USA has become the bully of the world.
Im glad to see Russia becoming stronger and starting to flex some of its new found muscles.
Dave, Bristol, UK
Did Americans seriously expect Russia and China to sit back and watch U.S steal oil, from yet another oil rich nation?
Abdul Ali, Tehran, Iran
Why you don't bother that international terrorists and thiefs have a political asylum in UK? Please, take your own look on the past and the present, without a mass-media impact.
Sergey, Moscow, Russia
If Russia really wanted Iran to have a nuclear bomb, they could simply just give them one of their 7,200 "active" nuclear warheads, or maybe one from their stockpile of 8,800 "inactive reserve" weapons. It is interesting to note that the USSR was "wiped off the map" to become the "glorious motherland" of Russia. Nobody can agree on what Ahmadinejad actually meant in his speech about the state of Israel, but the right wingers enjoy rolling out this potential misquote and/or mistranslation for their propaganda purposes. Yawn...
livelogger, Spain,
get rid of bush he;s leading everyone into very dangerous territory, for what? Nothing, the man is simple and stupid, he didn't even know where Iraq was on a map... America get someone in who knows something about politics not drilling for oil please.
lee , leeds, uk
A lot of the American commenters here seem to think Putin is their friend. But Putin is not doing this to help the Democrats.
Putin is returning to the old ways of 'spheres of influence' and 'proxy wars'. The Cold war has returned. Of course, during the cold war, America was demonized by many Americans, just as we see in the comments here, so really nothing at all has changed.
William McIlhagga, Ilkley,
So it's "Keep your missiles out of Poland or we'll build an Iranian reactor"
ken, watford,
Doe's it not bother any nation that Putin is sleeping in the same bed as Iran,.a nation that want's to wipe Israel off the face of the earth. I think we should keep an equal eye on Putin.
mitch, Sydney, Australia.
Glad to see Russa stand up for the small nations's rights to exist. This big brother became so evil when there is no other big brothers in the home. After all, two or more great powers would make the world safer and less bloodshed from the defenseless people.
John Miller, Sain Paul, MN
Stop demonizing Russia. I've been there 3 times, speak the language and have a lot of Russian friends in the US. Who keeps the space station going when the shuttle is grounded due to a few clouds? The Russian Space Agency.
Americans don't study world history much with all the time spent following Britney and Anna Nicole. We had troops inside Russia - along with the British - in the early '20's. Do you think they have forgotten?
Larry Abbott, Asheville, NC
Are we missing something here?
It now seems that Putin has set Russia against America on this key policy issue. Russian spy planes have resumed probing flights into Europe and the United Kingdom recently.
I someone trying to provoke a stand off and, if so, whom and why?
What has happened to the new found friendship of a few years ago and who is responsible for its loss?
Paul, Coventry UK,
Yes ......it is excellent that Putin will help Iran acquire Nuclear Weapons.
Today we are safer and it will have no affect on the world.............until Iran hands off a nuclear weapon to a terrorist group and they detonated it in a large US city.
That will OF COURSE be Bush's fault also.
Hotsput, ATL, USA
Tom writes: "On a side note, it is time for us all to take our destiny into our own hands. If the government won't represent our interests and the media continues to ignore the masses, we need to force the issue"
Er...Tom, I'm not sure if the 'masses' are with you, but when you're talking revolution, you ought not to consider it a 'side note.'
David, Columbia, MO USA
Again. We have been reminded that the limit to our military prowess has been exposed. The American military myth has been finally destroyed by President Bush. Hence, every nation that once envied the USA can now insult, scoff and demean the USA without regard and with reckless abandon. Once again, this is one of many instances where we are reminded of the unfortunate harm that President Bush has done to our great country, God's own country...US of A.
Niwa, Atlanta, USA
As long as we in the USA talk tough toward Iran while steadily advancing our military interests in former Soviet States we will receive counter moves like the above from Russia.
If we truly believe that Iran is a "real and significant threat" to us then prudent and patient diplomacy would obviate us to go slow on our military advances and quasi alliances in the East until the Iran question was determinatively settleled. We cannot continue to insult Russia and not expect a response such as the above.
Lx, Chicago,
Another victory for Bush, our non-representative, Special Interest Fluffing Congress and the PNAC.
x32792, Orlando, FL
It's ironic. Russia/Putin is likely to accomplish what the American people have failed to do: force the Bush government to back-off plans to attack Iran. It's good news no matter how it is accomplished. Good for Putin, and a snub the present idiots in Washington (of both parties).
Ataraxia, Atlanta, Ga. USA
If Iran wants to have Russia build nuclear power plants that can be assuerdly not converted to weaponized material production, everyone else has to allow it. The USA does not haev a patent on nuclear energy.
george milton, Dallas, TX
You go to bed with the enemy of your enemy. We don't have the right to tell other nations what they can do within their borders as long as people are not being killed. Our Government's job is to protect its citiznes from danger, not to police other nations
Chico Juan, Gaithersburg, USA/MD
I think that this should signal all members of our legislative branches of government that the only people we should support are Israel and our own. It is readily apparent to the average American citizen that the world has turned it's back on America and the Israeli people. It is only a matter of time before the Chinese join the Mideastern coalition against the US and it's allies. Wake up America, before we all walk to the beat of a different drum. On a side note, it is time for us all to take our destiny into our own hands. If the government won't represent our interests and the media continues to ignore the masses, we need to force the issue.
Tom, Reidsville, NC
Vladimir:
Can you say bye bye!
rj o'neill, Palm Coast,