Moscow Backs Down on Missile Shield

But Moscow may not support nuclear sanctions against Iran

(NEWSER) - In a development sure to further tick off President Obama's critics on the right, Vladimir Putin says he's quite pleased with the decision to scrap an American missile-defense system in Eastern Europe, the New York Times reports. “I very much hope that this correct and brave decision will be followed by others,” said the Russian PM. Still unclear is whether Moscow will reward the US with more than just words—say, by supporting nuclear sanctions against Iran. More»

(NEWSER) - As Barack Obama arrives in Moscow for his toughest diplomatic challenge since taking office, the Guardian looks back on earlier US-Russia showdowns to gauge who had the upper hand.

• Kennedy vs. Khrushchev, 1961: The ultimate cold war summit, shadowed by the space race and the Berlin Wall. A draw, although JFK might have come out slightly ahead.

Agreement on a “road map” to “intensify dialogue”

(NEWSER) - President Bush and Vladimir Putin ended their last meeting as heads of state today by agreeing they like each other—and little else. Washington had hoped the Black Sea summit would yield a compromise over US plans to build a missile defense shield in eastern Europe. “We’ve got more work to do to convince the Russian side that the system is not aimed at Russia,” Bush said. More»

'The Cold War is over,' says the president

(NEWSER) - Russia has nothing to fear from a US missile shield in Eastern Europe, President Bush insisted in a speech in the Czech Republic today aimed at smoothing Vladimir Putin's ruffled feathers en route to the G8 summit. The Russian president threatened over the weekend to aim nuclear warheads at Europe in response to the US plan. More»

Participants brave sub-zero temps

(NEWSER) - It looks as if 2011 will be the year of the protester until its very last moment: Tens of thousands of people poured into central Moscow today, weathering sub-zero temps to gather in a show of anger against what they say were rigged elections and clamor for a new vote. The AP reports that it's the largest protest in the Russian capital to date, with rally participants packing Sakharov Avenue about a mile and a half from the Kremlin, many shouting "Russia without Putin!" The Russian interior ministry reported 28,000 people in attendance; protest organizers claim the true figure is closer to 120,000. More»