October 22, 2007 (LPAC)--Israeli commentator Yossi Melman pens a commentary in today's Ha'arettz asserting that while Russian President Vladimir Putin opposes any military strike against Iran, he is also working to get Iran to give up its alleged nuclear weapons program by pushing for a temporary suspension of uranium enrichment.

Melman writes that "above all, Russia is opposed to solving the crisis of the Iranian nuclear program by military means. It believes the Iranian leaders can still be convinced to postpone, at least for a while, the realization of their right to enrich uranium by themselves on a low level for civilian needs. That means Putin will not agree, at least not publicly, neither by silence nor by a wink, to an American military attack against Iran, not to mention an Israeli one."

Melman goes on to write that Putin's policy is an improved version of Europe's so called "carrot and stick" approach. "When it comes to Israeli and international demands," Melman writes, "if there is a chance Iran will listen to anyone, it will listen to Moscow. Russia's message to Iran is: You have a right to enrich uranium for civilian needs, but you don't have to do it now. Russia supports you, but you are liable to lose our support if you are too stubborn." For this policy to work, Putin has to display a certain ambiguity in his public statements.