Is the United States Poking the Bear?

At my house, when one of the kids deliberately does something known to antagonize another family member, we say they are "poking the bear." Today, with U.S.-Russian relations at a state of high tension over the Georgia conflict, the United States might have just poked the bear.

An agreement to place American anti-missile interceptors in Poland was announced yesterday even though the Russians are strongly opposed to the deal. According to the BBC, "The US says the system will protect itself and Europe against long range missile attacks by 'rogue states'."

On the other hand, "Moscow has said the project would upset the military balance in Europe and warned it would have no choice but to point its own missiles at the installations."

So maybe the timing of this agreement announcement is coincidental. The deal with Poland has been in the works for some time. But it could also easily be a U.S. attempt to make sure the Russians know America still has friends in the region.

Update: The New York Times reports a "wholesale reassessment of American dealings with Russia" is now underway in Washington, DC.