Is Medvedev ready to give Putin the boot?

Foreign Policy says Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is indeed becoming more his own man vis-à-vis his predecessor and mentor, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

Why now?

The economic meltdown, fueled in Russia by collapsing oil prices.

I wouldn’t expect Pismo Beach out of Medvedev, but he may actually be wanting to be a reformer, at least in Russian terms.

And, as the story notes, they have strongly different backgrounds — Medvedev the lawyer vs. Putin the KGB apparatchik.

If nothing else, as the authors note, if Russia’s economy goes further in the tank, Medvedev may have no choice but to lean harder on Putin.

Is Obama lying about his letter to Medvedev?

I’m guessing he IS doing something along those lines called “ walking it back” and trying to delink his actual letter linking realigning a U.S. missile shield if Russia would stop helping Iran with nuclear and missile technology.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said no, and leaked the letter to the New York Times, which reported on it.

And now, Obama’s trying to pretend he never sent such a letter.

More proof Just.Another.Politician.™ is lying? Members of his own administration told U.S. media about the letter.

Obviously, he won’t be believed in Russia; no telling who will, or will not, swallow his claim over here.

Medvedev does some missile-rattling at Obama

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is deploying short-range missiles in Kaliningrad, a part of the old USSR between Lithuania and Poland.

Medvedev made clear it was in part due to U.S. backing of Georgia in recent Caucasus tiffs, which candidate Obama also backed.

It’s also a warning not to get happy about expanding NATO to Ukraine.

Another heads-up to Obama.