Sarkozy Breaks Ranks On Missile Defense

By Cernig

Well now:

France's U.S.-friendly president sent a clear message Friday to the next American administration: Plans for a U.S. missile shield in Eastern Europe are misguided, and won't make the continent a safer place.

... "Deployment of a missile defense system would bring nothing to security ... it would complicate things, and would make them move backward," Sarkozy said at a news conference with Medvedev. Medvedev smiled and pointed his finger at Sarkozy in approval.

...Sarkozy said he was worried about Russia's threat to deploy short-range Iskander missiles near Poland in response to the U.S. move.

"We could continue between Europe and Russia to threaten each other with shields, with missiles, with navies," he said. "It would do Russia no good, Georgia no good and Europe no good."

Sarkozy said he would discuss the missile issue with NATO counterparts at a summit early next year and proposed a pan-European security conference after that, to include Russia. Medvedev welcomed the idea.

All the more remarkable because:

1) Sarko wasn't just speaking for France - he was meeting with Medvedev as part of an EU-Russia summit and France currently holds the EU presidency.

2) His remarks came just days after the US missile defense supremo, Gen Oberling, said that US interests would be "severely hurt" if the program was cancelled. Obviously, Sarkozy doesn't think that French or European interests would be likewise negatively affected.

Comments

[nadezhda]

I'd guess the Poles don't think Sarkozy was speaking for them. The howls will be deafening. But the Czech opponents of the boondoggle will certainly take heart. That may put paid to any Czech Parliament vote, and Poland can't go ahead without the Czech piece. Now will the Poles still demand US Patriots?

[Victor Tremblay]

The remark is interesting because a prominent European leader said out loud what everyone believed but did not dare say: the missile shield is useless (in its current conception) and the Europeans don't really want it. The reason why he probably chose to announce this now is shrewd and shows he can see which way the wind is blowing. While it was obvious that Bush would not take the hint that the project was useless and a remark would have only highlighted the powerlessness of whoever said it; Sarkozy is betting that Obama will eventually back off on this project and he is probably right in that regard.

The logic that the missile defense is not aimed at Russia but at some "rogue" state, while being deployed around Russia, did not convince anyone; it is mostly seen as a response to Russia's "aggressive" behavior. Aback off on this project is probably the first thing that an Obama administration will be ready to give when they talk with Russian leaders, because it is more of a symbolic move than anything, given its overall uselessness, and Obama has stated during the campaign that he plans to cut investment for "unproven" missile defense systems so he could convincingly sell this move on the domestic front as something he had planned all along.

In the end, Russia will remember Sarkozy as the first one who spoke out against the missile defense system and domestic opinion will remember that he, contrary to Blair, could influence American Presidents. That is probably what he's banking on. Shrewd move.

Also posted it on my blog at

http://internationalpoliticsramblings.blogspot.com/2008/11/sarkozy-calls-obama-to-back-off-us.html

[Peter G.]

Well this is promising. Boondoggles of this size have a massive momentum. Killing it will require a certain amount of will. If Sarkosy is on side then I can see it disappearing off the radar screen. Excellent!