President Obama has made his first mistake of the Russian Federation before he is in Moscow today. His attempt to overthrow Vladimir Putin, as yesterday's man, and to drive a wedge between the Prime Minister and President Medvedev displays a misunderstanding of the relationship in the Kremlin.
Mr Medvedev is in office but not in power, and if he becomes president in more than name depends on Mr Putin's support and intentions. Mr Medvedev may represent a more accommodating compliant against Russia, but only because Putin wants him.
Mr Obama declared: "I think it is important that even when we are moving forward with President Medvedev that Putin understands that the old Cold War approach to US-Russian relations are outdated ... Putin has a large in the old ways of doing business and one foot in the new. "This suggests that Mr Medvedev's outlook differs from his mentor, despite lack of evidence. Putin is not known as a poor judge character and he described his successor as "no less a Russian nationalist than me."
It is not difficult to solve. The "wedge" is for American consumption. For Barack Obama to sell any agreement, he comes with the Russians, he is to portray today's Russia, which will be led by "new men", sensible men, but is perceived as being in contrast to Vladimir Putin. In this way he can say that the "new page was turned, and the U.S. is now working with" people we can trust. Obama probably knows that Medvedev represents only "one more sensitive to Russia ... only because Putin wants him to." But it suits his book presence Medvedev face or at least to portray Russia as a battlefield between the moderates and the neo-conservatives. "Wool being pulled over the eyes not the president, but a second.
With the recent news that Russia has agreed to give the opportunity to supply U.S. forces in Aghanistan by Moscow-controlled area, look for "deep cuts" and "stand down" in relation to Moscow. Reuters article said Obama "will also include business leaders and listen to the country's embattled democratic opposition. But he faces a difficult task in trying to achieve their goal of a" reset "the general relationship between Washington and Moscow." It may be easier than he does on.
