A Nuclear Family Vacation

Putin’s Russia is, and may never be ready to open its doors completely to the rest of the world, just yet.  When the hand of welcome is that of the United States’, Russia is wary.  While both countries have pledged cooperation to promote mutual interests, the two have remained passive and obviously lacked sincerity.

Take the case of the US-funded Sarov Technopark, where the Russian nuclear scientists and their western partners will do their research and conduct their tests.  The joint project was to ensure that the scientists would not work for the terrorists.  Five years after groundbreaking in 2000, US representatives have not gained access to the facility, which was supposed to be an open zone.  The Russians gave the Americans a runaround, before finally turning down the request for a visit.

The Russians are highly security-conscious and infinitely protective of their talents, skills, and expertise.  They cordoned off sensitive sites or closed sites and never allowed anyone through.  Analysts understood the attitude.

Russia would not want their experts on weapons of mass destruction to gain outside contact.  While this may not have been acceptable to the US-Russian partnership, the Russians appeared to have a point as far sparing nothing for reason of security.  The Russians would rather err on the side of caution.

The US foreign policy had not been encouraging either.  They showed no visible signs that the US pursued these initiatives with the same enthusiasm as before.  The US led allied forces in the Gulf, Afghanistan, and in Iraq.  It will stop at nothing to oppose the use of weapons of mass destruction.

What seemed to be a strong alliance between the US and Russia against the proliferation of nuclear technology had not progressed beyond take off.  Where has it gone wrong?  We will never know, as Russia would not provide the answer and the US would not even ask the question.