I would expect any negotiations President Obama could enter into with President Medvedev of Russia would carry far less brevity in an election year, especially on Missile Defense. Missile Defense is a charged election year issue in the USA. The differences in views between Democrats and Republicans is well known.
Equity in missile defense in Europe is a delicate subject, however, parking the missiles at the Russian border is simply a bad idea and invites mutual threat. Poland would be caught in the middle. It is a matter of negotiations and with a change in the Presidency in Russia it is better to convene new negotiations with the Putin administration.
If President Obama attempted to address the missile defense system in an election year, there is a very good chance the measure would not pass and in that the reality the USA and Russia were cast into having profound differences. It is better to allow the topic to stay in anticipation of negotiations rather than have it acted on in anger by a GOP that likes to appear to be muscle flexing even when it is far less prudent to do it.
I am pleased to hear President Obama and President Medvedev were able to easily converse about missile defense for what seems less than 60 seconds without a pause in postponement of the negotiations to another time and another Russian administration. The ease at which they spoke shows a good rapport between the two and if there was any doubt missile defense was a impetus to USA and Russian conflict that can now be put to rest.
