n-a-i-v-e
Earlier this year, Obama promised that he would 1. cut investments in “unproven” missile defense systems, 2. slow the development of future combat systems, and 3. not develop new nuclear weapons.
Putin/Medvedev have made no such promises. In fact, just last month Putin instructed the Russian Defense Ministry to accelerate the completion of promising R&D projects.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Russian military deteriorated significantly — a point of humiliation for Russian nationalists. Although Soviet/Russian military spending has always been difficult to gauge, all indications are that over the last 6-7 years Russian spending on weapons systems — fueled in part by oil and gas revenues — has risen dramatically. This coincides with the new Russian bellicosity in a variety of areas.
John McCain said that when he looks into Putin’s eyes he sees three letters: K-G-B. What does Putin see when he looks into Obama’s eyes?