Russia Relations Reboot?

James Joyner | Friday, January 23, 2009

A new president, especially one of a new party and ideology, offers an opportunity for other countries to redefine their relationship with the United States (and vice-versa).

In “Russia Offers Afghanistan Cooperation,” I note that this is true even when it’s not. For example, changes already underway are repackaged as new programs in an attempt to make a clean break.

That, incidentally, is just fine with me.

About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and infant daughter.

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Tags | James Joyner, US Politics, World Politics Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Russia

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Good post, James.

I'm wondering too, if this reminds us all of what it really means when we say "mutual interest". That is, even though the Russians might be pissed off about the ABM in Eastern Europe, that doesn't change the fact that they have an interest in seeing Afghanistan avoid becoming a base in Central Asia for Islamists.

Posted by Brett | January 23, 2009 | 03:04 pm | Permalink

 

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