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»

Re-elected Russian prez sending Medvedev to Camp David

(NEWSER) - Looks like the relationship between President Obama and President Putin might be off to a rocky start. The Russian leader has surprised the White House by saying he won't be attending the G8 summit at Camp David next week, reports the New York Times . Putin was recently elected for a third term as president after serving one term as prime minister, and the summit would have marked the first meeting between the two men as presidents. Putin—who sharply criticized the US during his re-election campaign—will meet Obama on the sidelines of the G20 conference in Mexico next month instead. More»