U.S. - Russian Relations Going Into The 'Deep Freeze'

Barack Obama & Vladimir Putin at Putin's dacha 2009-07-07. Wikimedia

Putin’s Obama Snub Signals Harder Russian Policy As Reset Fades -- Bloomberg

President Vladimir Putin’s decision to skip this month’s Group of Eight summit in America signals Russian foreign policy is hardening as a “reset” in relations with the U.S. fades, analysts from Moscow to Washington said.

Putin told President Barack Obama in a telephone call yesterday that Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev will take his place at the May 18-19 gathering, the White House said in a statement. His first foreign visits after reclaiming the presidency for a third term will be to Mexico, China and Brazil.

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Update: Putin's reason for skipping US summit puzzles -- AP

My Comment: So .... the AP does not understand why Russian President Putin does not want to meet President Obama .... hmmmm .... clearly the AP does not read/see Russian newspapers, websites, blogs, and TV shows. Bottom line .... when President Bush was in the White House, there were differences between Bush and Putin, but Bush and Putin respected each other and were able to establish a working friendship. In today's "relationship", the Russians do not trust President Obama .... and more to the point .... they do not respect him. As to a working relationship .... forget it.

My prediction is that U.S. - Russian relations are going to be put into a deep freeze until after the U.S. Presidential election. There will be no additional agreements on short-medium nuclear force reductions, Iranian sanctions, North Korean nuclear proliferation, or on Syria's civil war. Putin will (instead) focus on emerging economies (like Brazil and India), China, expanding and growing the Russian economy, the 2014 winter Olympics in Sochi, stopping European nations from implementing missile defense, and .... as Russian President .... dealing with the "joys" of Russian politics and Russian dissent.

As to the U.S. Presidential election .... they will not say it publicly .... but many in Russia's political establishment are hoping for a change, and they will go out of their way to not be played politically by this White House .... starting with Putin declining this White House invitation .... but going to Rio for a "development conference"