Delivery of S-300 to Iran, a Key Topic in Kerry and Putin's Talks in Moscow

John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, is set to meet with Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, on Tuesday, May 22, to discuss various issues, including nuclear negotiations with Iran and the delivery of the S-300 air defense system to Iran. This is the highest-level visit by a U.S. official to Russia since Kerry's visit to Moscow in May 2013 and also his first visit to Russia since the onset of the Ukraine crisis. According to AFP, prior to his trip to Moscow, Kerry met with Sergei Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, in Sochi, Russia. According to the Associated Press, Kerry intends to ask Putin to reconsider the delivery of the advanced S-300 missile defense system to Iran. Vladimir Putin recently decided to lift the ban on delivering this advanced Russian system to Iran, which would make it more difficult for Iran to conduct airstrikes on military and nuclear sites and could impact regional equations. Kerry also plans to inform Putin about the latest developments in the nuclear negotiations with Iran and his discussions with Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Iranian Foreign Minister, which took place in New York. A senior U.S. State Department official regarding the Iran nuclear negotiations and Kerry's intention to discuss this with Putin told AFP that 'as we approach the endgame, it is important to stay completely aligned on this, as it has been the most effective approach so far.' However, reports indicate that a more significant part of Kerry and Putin's discussions in Moscow will focus on the Ukraine crisis, with Kerry expected to encourage Putin to fully implement the fragile ceasefire in Ukraine. Relations between Moscow and Washington have deteriorated since Russia fueled separatist movements in Ukraine in early 2014 and annexed Crimea in southern Ukraine. Yet, a year after the onset of these tensions, there are now signs of a willingness from the West and Russia to de-escalate their relations. According to AFP, there are numerous global issues that Washington seeks to engage and cooperate with Moscow on, including the threat of Islamist militants in Iraq, the Syrian civil war, and the issue of overthrowing Bashar al-Assad's regime. One senior U.S. official traveling with Kerry to Russia remarked to reporters that 'there is a lot we can work on if there is a willingness to do so.' Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, described Kerry's visit to Moscow as 'extraordinarily positive' and stated that the discussions between Kerry and Putin are set to cover many different topics. In this context, the Iranian Foreign Minister welcomed Russia's decision to deliver the S-300. The European Union has expanded sanctions against Russia, and the U.S. ambassador warned that Russia should not cross the Ukrainian border.