Binding Treaty, but Not For All

For NATO and Russia, the Cold War may possibly find an end in Reykjavik.

On Tuesday, NATO members meet with Russia in the Icelandic capital to approve a new partnership with Russia. Concentrating on topics including terrorism, arms control and crisis management, NATO and Russia will be working on a possible new friendship between the two former Cold War foes.

The spirit of optimism that can be felt in Reykjavik was largely brought about by a Russian-American arms reduction deal announced on Monday.

US President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin said they planned to reduce nuclear arsenals by two thirds.

The two leaders want to cut the number of nuclear warheads on each side from a current 6,000 - 7,000, to between 1,700 and 2,200. "We will begin a new era of US-Russian relations, and that's important", Bush said.

Identifiable enemy

Since September 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin has adopted an increasingly pro-western turn, and NATO has in turn reacted favourably to Russia.

According to NATO General Secretary George Robertson (photo), relations have improved due to the war against terror.

"After 60 years of estrangement between Russia and the West there is an identifiable common enemy. There is an unprecedented co-operation at the highest level", he told the British daily The Guardian on Monday.

But the recent agreement between the two former Cold War foes shows that any co-operation is still one-sided.

Legal framework

Despite the two nations' show of unity over the pact, the exact implications of the treaty are still rather unclear.

While Russia says that it has managed to force the US to its first international treaty commitment, the pact appears to have been dictated on terms almost entirely made by the US.

The US is determined to keep a certain flexibility, insisting on storage rather than the complete destruction of warheads.

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said that some weapons would be put into storage, while others will be dismantled.

But it seems that only those warheads will be destroyed which are too old or malfunctioning anyway.

Sticking points

US insistence on storing surplus warheads, in case they are needed later, has been among the strongest sticking points.

Another sore point has been the US’ anti-missile programme - despite Washington’s assertion that it is only aimed at "rogue states" with missile capabilities.

Critics have called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to drop the deal, which they say is no proper agreement with such storage provisions.

But the Kremlin appears to be happy with an agreement which has set Putin on the same level with his US counterpart, President Bush, but otherwise lacks in binding force.

Indeed, Russia simply can not afford to keep the former Soviet Union’s arsenal, and has long been looking for a reason - preferably in the form of a bilateral agreement - to cut down on its nuclear weapons.

Cautious start

Missile defence will be among those topics to dominate the NATO summit in Iceland, besides management of regional crises, peacekeeping and the fight against terrorism.

The summit hopes to create a new body, the NATO-Russia council, putting Russia on an equal footing with the 19 allies for the first time.

But US officials still made clear that the start is a cautious one: "A collegial approach to our relationship does not mean that differences have vanished or that tough negotiations are a thing of the past."

According to NATO General Secretary George Robertson, the new co-operation "is not a sentimental journey."

"It’s based on cold, hard-nosed self-interest on both sides and that is what will make it function".