Russia-U.S. Nuclear Limitation Talks Progressing

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The United States and Russia have been meeting to try and create a successor treaty to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, which expired in December. Following Obama's general goal of nuclear reduction and an eventual nuclear-weapon-free world, the two parties are trying to agree on further reduction quotas, and both have said that talks are progressing wonderfully.

Where Russia Meets China

So interesting it should be mandatory

Russia backs down about Iranian sanctions.

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So, it seems that what we talked about last weekend came to fruition. The Russians made an unofficial statement that they were ready to examine Iran and punitive measures. This isn't a diplomatic commitment, but it is a "we are on the same page and willing to move forward with this". Technically, they said that sanctions are sometimes inevitable and that if incentives don't work, the Russians may need to adopt tougher measures. Looks like Obama's gesture wasn't in vain.

Updated Missile Defences in Europe

So, big news today. Obama has announced that he's canceling the US plans to extend the antiballistic missile shield into Eastern Europe. The Russians have responded to this with exceptional enthusiasm, with Putin repeatedly praising Obama and the new policy. Presumably, this is a concession made with the intention of improving relations with Russia, especially to nudge Russia closer to backing US sanctions against Iran, which the Russians have been consistently resisting. Russian refusal to condemn Iran for their nuclear program has drawn fire from the US, and it would seem that the US is willing to take the first step, in hopes that the Russians will match this.

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Also, the new NATO Secretary General made a speech recognizing Russia as a major partner in future strategic talks, and had proposed that NATO and Russia conduct a joint review of vulnerability and pool their resources to combat threats. All of this seems to revolve around an attempt to either disarm or at least protect against the Iranian threat, which the Russians still refuse to publically recognize.

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Russia!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/28/world/europe/28crimea.html

A great article outlining Russia's conflict with Ukraine, one of the major issues plaguing Eastern Europe at the moment.

And in a completely different political tone, the Russians are promising to rebuild and reorganize the separatist Georgian territory with extensive economic aid:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/13/world/europe/13russia.html