Progress and Pratfalls in U.S.- Russian Relations

In the old days (during the Cold War), the U.S. relationship with Russia was the most important thing in the world. Back then the best and the brightest American Foreign Service Officers were put to work on Soviet issues. All other assignments were considered the minor leagues. Today, the stakes are not nearly so high, but when the new U.S. Secretary of State has her first meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister it is still a big deal.

That meeting happened last week, and it unfortunately started with a stupid little American gaffe. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov a gag gift of what was supposed to be a reset button. This was a reference to Vice President Joe Biden's call for the United States and Russia to reset their relationship following eight years of the Bush Administration. But the Russian word printed on the button actually meant "overcharge" rather than "reset." Lavrov apparently laughed and later made a joke about the need to teach Russian in American schools.

Most accounts indicate the rest of the meeting went well with both sides agreeing to begin nuclear arms reduction talks which could lead to massive cuts for both sides. The Daily Beast, however, said Clinton had tough words for Russia.

Whatever the tone, it could have been much worse if a different Russian foreign policy expert had been there. Igor Panarin, dean of Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Diplomatic Academy, says the United States is on the brink of collapse, according to a story from the Associated Press:

If you're inclined to believe Igor Panarin, and the Kremlin wouldn't mind if you did, then President Barack Obama will order martial law this year, the U.S. will split into six rump-states before 2011, and Russia and China will become the backbones of a new world order. "There is a high probability that the collapse of the United States will occur by 2010," Panarin told dozens of students, professors and diplomats Tuesday at the Diplomatic Academy—a lecture the ministry pointedly invited The Associated Press and other foreign media to attend.