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A CHILL IN THE AIR UP NORTH: "NEW COLD WAR" COULD HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR ARMENIA
By Aris Ghazinyan
ArmeniaNow
http://armenianow.com/commentary/analysis/33618/moscow_washington_cold_war_medvedev_statement_nato
25.11.11
Photo: www.kremlin.ru
In light of recent aggravated contradictions between Moscow
and Washington, "New Cold War" is the most commonly used phrase
characterizing the current state affairs between the two superpowers.
Armenia, Russia's military ally, may also feel the chill.
On November 23 Russian president Dmitry Medvedev made a special
statement in reference to the situation with NATO countries' Missile
Defense System in Europe.
Stressing that "regrettably, the USA and other NATO partners have not
showed enough willingness" to cooperate with Russia in developing
a joint sector-based rather than in-stages missile defense system,
Medvedev presented his five decisions, among them "protective cover
of Russia's strategic nuclear weapons; putting the missile attack
early warning radar station in Kaliningrad on combat alert" and others.
In the fifth point Medvedev stressed that "if the above measures prove
insufficient, the Russian Federation will deploy modern offensive
weapon systems in the west and south of the country, ensuring our
ability to take out any part of the US missile defense system in
Europe. One step in this process will be to deploy Iskander missiles
in the Kaliningrad Region".
The phrase "cold war" was first introduced by Winston Churchill in his
famous speech in March 1946, in the American town of Fulton, Missouri.
Churchill called for an overthrow of communist regimes in the countries
of Central and Eastern Europe and used a number of new formulations
(such as "iron curtain"), that later became part of a universal
political lexicon.
The Cold War is commonly considered to have finished with the fall
of the "iron curtain" and collapse of communist regimes and the USSR.
However, the Russian president's speech seems to have become a fresh
reminder.
Today's environment does not rival the early 1960s "Cuban missile
crisis" (when Moscow put missiles in Cuba, 90 miles from the U.S.,
after the U.S. put missiles in Turkey). The closest "cold war or words"
is Medvedev's decision to deploy modern offensive weapon systems in
the west and south of Russia.
However, where Kaliningrad was named in reference with the west of
Russia, nothing definite was said about the southern borders.
On the south the main constituent of the Russian missile attack early
warning system is Gabala radar station (RS). Its detection range is
around 8,000 km in radius, capable of detecting missile launch from
the shores of the Indian Ocean, and keep a watchful eye on Turkey,
Iraq, Iran, India and all the Eastern European countries.
The catch is that Gabala RS is in Azerbaijan, and Russia has been
renting it for $7 million per year for the past decade. The contract,
however, is expiring next year, but envisages a possible extension.
Azeri-Russian negotiations on the extension of the rental contract
were held the day before Medvedev's speech; Deputy Foreign Minister
of Azerbaijan Araz Azimov had said that "Russia's annual rent of $7
million for the Gabala station is inadequate". Hence, Russia might
have to pay double.
The day after Medvedev's speech, Collective Security Treaty
Organization (CSTO) Secretary General Nikolay Bordyuzha made a
statement saying that: "Gabala RS is utilized for the good of Russia,
and if there is a need to further use that segment in the Russian
missile defense system, Russia will go for extension of the contract"
Theoretically, there is also a possibility that Russia might consider
deploying a new radar system on the territory of Armenia, where
Russian military base No102 is deployed until 2044.
By Aris Ghazinyan
ArmeniaNow
http://armenianow.com/commentary/analysis/33618/moscow_washington_cold_war_medvedev_statement_nato
25.11.11
Photo: www.kremlin.ru
In light of recent aggravated contradictions between Moscow
and Washington, "New Cold War" is the most commonly used phrase
characterizing the current state affairs between the two superpowers.
Armenia, Russia's military ally, may also feel the chill.
On November 23 Russian president Dmitry Medvedev made a special
statement in reference to the situation with NATO countries' Missile
Defense System in Europe.
Stressing that "regrettably, the USA and other NATO partners have not
showed enough willingness" to cooperate with Russia in developing
a joint sector-based rather than in-stages missile defense system,
Medvedev presented his five decisions, among them "protective cover
of Russia's strategic nuclear weapons; putting the missile attack
early warning radar station in Kaliningrad on combat alert" and others.
In the fifth point Medvedev stressed that "if the above measures prove
insufficient, the Russian Federation will deploy modern offensive
weapon systems in the west and south of the country, ensuring our
ability to take out any part of the US missile defense system in
Europe. One step in this process will be to deploy Iskander missiles
in the Kaliningrad Region".
The phrase "cold war" was first introduced by Winston Churchill in his
famous speech in March 1946, in the American town of Fulton, Missouri.
Churchill called for an overthrow of communist regimes in the countries
of Central and Eastern Europe and used a number of new formulations
(such as "iron curtain"), that later became part of a universal
political lexicon.
The Cold War is commonly considered to have finished with the fall
of the "iron curtain" and collapse of communist regimes and the USSR.
However, the Russian president's speech seems to have become a fresh
reminder.
Today's environment does not rival the early 1960s "Cuban missile
crisis" (when Moscow put missiles in Cuba, 90 miles from the U.S.,
after the U.S. put missiles in Turkey). The closest "cold war or words"
is Medvedev's decision to deploy modern offensive weapon systems in
the west and south of Russia.
However, where Kaliningrad was named in reference with the west of
Russia, nothing definite was said about the southern borders.
On the south the main constituent of the Russian missile attack early
warning system is Gabala radar station (RS). Its detection range is
around 8,000 km in radius, capable of detecting missile launch from
the shores of the Indian Ocean, and keep a watchful eye on Turkey,
Iraq, Iran, India and all the Eastern European countries.
The catch is that Gabala RS is in Azerbaijan, and Russia has been
renting it for $7 million per year for the past decade. The contract,
however, is expiring next year, but envisages a possible extension.
Azeri-Russian negotiations on the extension of the rental contract
were held the day before Medvedev's speech; Deputy Foreign Minister
of Azerbaijan Araz Azimov had said that "Russia's annual rent of $7
million for the Gabala station is inadequate". Hence, Russia might
have to pay double.
The day after Medvedev's speech, Collective Security Treaty
Organization (CSTO) Secretary General Nikolay Bordyuzha made a
statement saying that: "Gabala RS is utilized for the good of Russia,
and if there is a need to further use that segment in the Russian
missile defense system, Russia will go for extension of the contract"
Theoretically, there is also a possibility that Russia might consider
deploying a new radar system on the territory of Armenia, where
Russian military base No102 is deployed until 2044.