http://lobelog.com/russia-is-back-get-used-to-it/#more-31190

Russia is Back. Get Used to it.

by Robert E. Hunter
This coming Monday, President Barack Obama will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the UN General Assembly, their first meeting in 15 months. This will be no ordinary occasion, given Russian aggression in Ukraine, the West’s sanctions, and a lot of bad blood between the United States and the Russian Federation. Maybe the two leaders will be able to agree on some process for trying to deal with these very real mutual problems. Or maybe they will just talk past one another. Obviously, the world’s eyes will be on each twitch of the two men’s eyebrows. What follows does not recommend a course of action for dealing with Russia-in-Syria. Rather it will make the case that, after nearly a quarter century of Russia being a second-rate power, its interests and ambitions must again be taken into account, even when we oppose them.
Russia’s seizure of Crimea and its continued military action, direct and indirect, against other parts of Ukraine have now been joined by significant Russian military deployments to Syria. Other than the short conflict with Georgia in 2008, these are the first major Russian military ventures since the breakup of the Soviet Union, nearly a quarter century ago. For the West and particularly the United States, Russian behavior under President V. V. Putin is posing major challenges. But just how serious they will be and what should be done beyond steps already taken are questions still to be answered.http://lobelog.com/russia-is-back-get-used-to-it/#more-31190