Farewell in Sochi

Fabrice Nodé-Langlois considers the two leaders' willingness to cooperate to 'create a system to respond to potential ballistic threats in which Russia, the United States and Europe would participate as equal partners.' "We can't see a system like this working, where Moscow, Washington and Brussels all have their finger on the trigger, with the state of international relations - and European defense policy - being what it is. We have trouble seeing as well the Pentagon renouncing its anti-missile shield because of Russian opposition, especially now that NATO has given its approval. This didn't prevent Bush and Putin from conducting their 28th encounter with an eye to a more cooperative future. Their personal relationship is warm and direct - at least in appearance - in order to gloss over a history that some think is mediocre, if not disastrous."

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