I dont think there is going to be a secret deal . Russia would probabley help with Iran to forget about nuclaer weapons anyway . Seems to me Russia offered to supply Iran with nuclaer fuel for their electrical generating plant al;ready. Russia is close friends with Iran , more becuase United States chased Russia to seek friends where ever they could find them . If United States could undo what NATO did in Yugoslavia , Russia could probabely forsake Iran . But Russia cant forsake a friend just becuase United States does not build a missile defence in some country that the people in those countries dont want a missile defence in any way .

Many indicators were around in the last few weeks that some changes are under way. "The problem here is that people have the sense that we are facing a deeper change in Europe,” said Janusz Reiter, chairman of the Center for International Relations in Warsaw and a former Polish ambassador to the United States and to Germany. The United States’ presence in Europe is decreasing, Mr. Reiter said, while Russia appears to be looking to play a larger role." And this is not an isolated event. All indications are that some form of an agreement with Iran is coming. There are two actions that indicate that Iran needs to be placated. UN Report, accusing Israel and Hamas of war crimes, has resulted in both parties being required to come to the Security Council and answer their questions. There is a penalty for not complying. It is very simple: in the past, there would have been no way to bring Israel to answer any charges. US always blocked such moves. Also, in an unrelated statement, Obama said that Iran's nuclear program is not a threat to Israel. This all sets the stage for discussion with Iran, and the issue of Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been elegantly taken off the table. What will be needed from Russia is the help in normalizing relations with Iran. US did not succeed with the policy of isolation, and needs to find a solution. IAEA did not support US charges, as Iran did not divert the fuel. Therefore, the whole case is weak politically/ As many things are unraveling, from the spat with Germany, to the trade war with China, and from the two year pause in Nabucco, to the chaos in Afghanistan and Pakistan --- US is seeking to minimize the number of open issues. Depending on how Iran emerges from this process, the Central Asian picture may improve, or definitely go worse. Given the mounting financial problems at home, problems with creditor, China, and changing winds in Japan --- US needs to retrench. And where is Hillary?

I'd like to comment on the plus72 quote: "plus72: Initially no one was going to place the AMD there. In the EU the Americans need nothing; the trajectories of Russian missiles aimed at America are not connected with Europe. They’ve used old proven tactics to do something to then pull back in exchange for concessions. The question is, what does the Kremlin get for it?" I don't recall any article or any quote from the Russian leadership that links this issue directly to any other issue other than the opposing offer which was the offer to deploy their own close range system close to the boarder. 1 – 1 = 0