This is one of those times when the faux sophistication of foreign policy experts gets outright obnoxious:

Appearances can be deceiving. Six months ago, when Dmitry Medvedev was inaugurated as Russia’s new president, many hoped there would be a thaw in U.S.-Russia relations. The soft-spoken lawyer has never worked for the KGB. His reputation as a liberal seemed to contrast sharply with his predecessor, Vladimir Putin. However, for the past six months it seems that President Medvedev has been working hard to dismantle his liberal image and revive memories of the Cold War. Putin had a reputation for being tough, but it was under Medvedev that Russia used excessive force against Georgia, occupying part of its territory and crushing its military.

Well yes, one would have hoped for a thaw in US-Russia relations. If one was a total fucking idiot. As if Medvedev's policies are anything but what Putin tells Medvedev his policies are. I mean, really? That's the nudge-wink game we're playing now? That there was going to be a change in Moscow's foreign policy because Putin replaced the stenciling on his door? Come on. Of course Putin's still unofficially in charge. Of course he's going to again be officially in charge soon enough.

But just as an exercise: according to this article, foreign policy experts predicted "a thaw in US-Russia relations. Fair enough. Except Russia has projected its naval presence into the Western hemisphere with nuclear-powered cruisers, launched new-generation nuclear ICBMs from subs, developed and marketed the world's most advanced tank busting rocket to target the US and its allies, and cracked down on domestic dissidents. And that's just last week. A couple weeks before that Putin was threatening to publicly hang the President of a potential NATO ally by his balls. So maybe not so much with foreign policy sophistication.

At least there's the hope of another wave of Alexandra Kosteniuk bikini pics. Or Alina Kabaeva semi-nude pics. Or whatever.

References and previously after the jump...