A New Cold War or the Second Detente?

For everyone who believed the election of Barack Obama would draw universal acclaim, try listening to Dmitri Medvedev. The announcement of the deployment of missiles in Kaliningrad was in striking contrast to the celebrations elsewhere.

The growing antagonism between the United States and Russia has been well documented and the Obama Administration will have to deal with a headstrong Medvedev-Putin government. Some observers have declared the start of a new Cold War. For those who fear a new global Russo-American struggle, know this: Russia is not the Soviet Union.

Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the United States talked down to Russia, a nation not know well for its sense of deference. The loss of respect and prestige are the sources of the jingoism and obstructionism of the Putin regime. The United States must engage Russia and work towards a more stable Russo-American relationship. Senator McCain's Manichean approach to Russia, revoking its membership in the G8, would only fuel the resentment felt by Russians.

President-Elect Obama has shown a more pragmatic approach to Russia by refusing to state his opinion the Bush Administration's Eastern European missile defense shield. Along the line of his response to the Russo-Georgian War, Mr. Obama has shown an ability to see the other side of the conflict. A dogmatic stance in either direction would have been a mistake. Support would cause more confrontation while opposition would herald an era of capitulation. President-elect Obama made a wise decision in allowing himself negotiation room with Russia.