Tuesday, Jul. 06, 2010

Russia

Leaders: Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and President Dmitri Medvedev

What Obama wants: Cooperation on Iran and North Korea.

What Putin and Medvedev want: U.S. help in gaining membership in the World Trade Organization and a ratified Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.

Outlook: Good for Russia, less clear for the U.S. Obama recently tried to buddy up to Medvedev over burgers, but it still isn't clear how the two Russian leaders divide power. Cooperation will be incremental at best.