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'Sarkozy Tries to Woo Putin and Fails'

A battle of wills is being fought between the United States and Russia over whether to send a strong message to Iran about its nuclear program. France's new President Nicolas Sarkozy has chosen to involve himself in this battle but during his trip to Moscow he failed to win over President Putin.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy's meetings in Moscow Wednesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin didn't seem to move the Russian leader any closer to the general Western opinion that -- after years of negotiations have failed to produce any tangible results and its failure to heed UN demands to suspend uranium enrichment -- strong sanctions need to be employed to successfully deter Iran.

The US is pushing for strong sanctions, and it wants these sanctions to come from the United Nations. But, without Russia's support (not to mention China's), it can forget about any condemnation from the UN Security Council.

Putin is playing his cards very close to his chest. As he said at a joint appearance Wednesday: "We don't have information showing that Iran is striving to produce nuclear weapons. That's why we're proceeding on the basis that Iran does not have such plans." He did, however, temper this assertion of trust with the statement that Russia shared "the concerns of our partners that all of Iran's programs be made absolutely transparent." And he will most likely take up the issue in person with Iranian officials next week when he goes to Tehran for a summit of Caspian nations.

Russia has also refused to stop its involvement in the much-delayed building of Iran's first nuclear reactor.

Sarkozy has barely been president for five months, but he has been much more active and vocal than his predecessor on this matter. Former French President Jacques Chirac's ambivalence to Iran and its alleged intentions to obtain nuclear weapons was seen by some as just part of his greater opposition to all things American. Sarkozy's plans to win Putin over to his hopes for assertive multilateral action came to naught, however, and he was forced to acknowledge that he and Mr. Putin "do not have quite the same analysis of the situation."

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will try her hand at winning over Putin when she visits Moscow this coming Saturday.

German commentators on Thursday take stock of Sarkozy's trip to Moscow.

The conservative Die Welt writes:

"(Like its domestic policy,) France's foreign policy will be revolutionary, too. The country is making up with the Americans and is making a rapprochement to Nato."

"In Moscow, Sarkozy stressed the danger coming from Iran and is distancing himself from the position that Chirac, who viewed the erupting nuclear crisis as an opportunity to infuriate Washington, took on this matter."

"Russian President Putin has reacted calmly to France's change; he's staying on his course. Indeed, Putin fears the Iranian danger just as much as the West, especially since Tehran's missiles are in a position to threaten Russia much more quickly than Europe. But, at the same time, it pleases Putin to be able to present himself to Iran as a counterweight to the Americans."

"Sarkozy's reaction to this is resolute. He wants to push the EU to impose its own sanctions and he's correct to do so. ... Many politicians in Berlin are bothered by the eager activeness of the new president. There is no reason for this. France's weaknesses have paralyzed Europe for too long."

The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes:

"It appears that Putin ... has been able to effortlessly accomplish what all the Europeans have failed to do: to 'convince' the French president that the UN Security Council is the only proper body to handle the conflict regarding Iran and atomic weapons and that only the Security Council can decree sanctions."

"There are two Sarkozy's, one from before his trip to Russia and one from after it. The one from before beat the drums and tried to bring the regime in Tehran to its senses by threatening severe sanctions. Then there's the Sarkozy who gave the impression of having changed his mind after meeting with Putin. Because when he says that Russia has dug in its heels and that Paris and Moscow are converging onto the same path, then the French guest must have performed an about-face."

"One thing is for sure: the UN Security Council it the body that carries weight with Tehran, but it is also the one that is both irresolute and resolute. It was usually resolute in the past when it did not deal severely with Tehran. China would usually make sure that things were lenient and even Russia, too. And that's why Sarkozy didn't have any hope that things would change. And are things any different now?"

The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes:

"It's in Russia's hands now, whether the international community goes forth with one voice or things reach a breaking point with all its consequences: by-passing sanctions, unrest in the Balkans and a new East-West conflict."

"For both possible conflicts, Sarkozy took very concrete positions very early on: France will recognize Kosovo and impose sanctions against Iran -- unilaterally, if necessary. Both decisions are well-founded but poorly communicated. They are well-founded because everything has already been said about Iran's nuclear program and Tehran's stonewalling tactics are tantamount to mockery. They are well-founded when it comes to Kosovo, too, because the UN has already worked-out a sensible separation plan and many bridges will be built for the Serbians to Europe. But at the same time the French policy was expressed using a sledgehammer."

"In Moscow, Sarkozy tried to woo Vladimir Putin away from his position. That's a tall order, especially when Putin's concept of himself doesn't allow him to envision running behind others. Russia's president stands in opposition ("There is no atomic weapons program."). Even if it were wiser to moderate the tone a bit before December, in the end it needs to be clear -- and to Germany, too -- that the time for compromise has expired. It's Putin's choice."

-- Josh Ward, 3:30 p.m. CET