Washington’s Ukrainian Missile Improvisation

vershbow100909.jpgJust when you thought the latest Nobel peace prize winner had sold the farm and caved into Russia, we get this little ditty from the former ambassador to Russia, Alexander Vershbow, who talks about the possibility of stationing the new missiles in Ukraine – a not so subtle reminder, I think, that the Kremlin has got to come through on its change of heart on Iran’s nuclear proliferation.  This softball comes straight out of the Biden school of diplomacy, and there’s Lavrov at the plate looking to swing for the fences.

US defence publication Defense News reported Thursday that Washington might consider Ukraine as part of its new anti-missile programme, and had added the ex-Soviet country “to the list of possible early warning sites.”

Defense News cited the source of the report as Alexander Vershbow, US assistant secretary of defence for international security affairs.

“A statement by Alexander Vershbow was rather unexpected,” Lavrov said when asked to comment.

“He is a person who’s prone to extravagancies,” Lavrov added, referring to Vershbow, who is also a former US ambassador to Russia.

If you were a gifted jazz drummer slash diplomat, wouldn’t you be prone to extravagances too?