Mazim Minaev describes Russia’s foreign policy in the year gone by as “a balance between continuity and novelty.” As Russia’s relations with most of its neighbours continues to be characterised by distrust and antagonism, as there are numbers of them that no Russian head of state has ever even visited despite Russia claiming to want normal relations with them, as more than a year after the event only about 3 or 4 nations in the world, including South American one-man shows and Nauru, one of the world’s smallest country which, co-incidentally with its acquiescence was paid a considerable sum of money by Russia, recognize its dismemberment of Georgia, Russian foreign policy cannot be said to be a roaring success. Perhaps the policy balance should be re-set to more novelty and less continuity, and to a novelty of a different kind than has so far prevailed.

It is difficult to beleive that Russia-West's relations are normalizing when you look at their 2010 military's budgets. When it profits american interests, everything is OK. Example: The US-NATO consorsium does all he can to suck Russia in the Afghan-Pakistan-Irak-Iran mess because those western mafiosis want all the natural ressources of that erea plus later, those of Russia; and naturally the possibility to ship them out, safely. The AMD is an other problem which has nothing to do with a sincere desir to scrap the system. It is very costly, meet technical difficulties. Nobody want to admit that it is unfeasible. Since its origins (1980s) notorious scientists demonstrated how stupid, it was. Unfortunatly the MIC masters also knew how much money, they could make from it.Their last resort is again to suck Russia into the program. Technically & money-wise, it could help and give credibility to the system. There, again, there is no sincerity in the US approach. We can also see that all over the World and mostly around Russia, N-PiPO's America and its prostitute-allieds keep playing the same dirty tricks as they did before. Russia does not have military and spying installations in Canada or Mexico. So, unless all that junk (around 1000 installations) disappear; I dont see how can we normalize sincerely. Bla. Bla. Bla !!! Marzipan6, an other "chicken" pseudo should extend his knowledge and have a geo-politic planetary vision, rather than, so often being one sided. Sorry Future Generations ! Sincerely. Jean-Claude Meslin AMD:Anti-Missiles'Defense...MIC: Military-Industrial-Complex

The biggest impediment to full normalization between the West and Russia is the United States of America. The Russian-West relations are normalizing to some degree compared to the Cold War era; however, there are limitations to this love-fest. Certain elements in the United States, particularly the massive military industrial complex, abhor such normalization because the "fear of Russia" fuels their funding and profits. These folks need an "enemy" that can be used to manipulate hysterical reaction in the American public and motivate their support of massive defense spending. The "war on terror" is a fraud concocted by the Bush administration and would not justify massive expenditures for carrier battle groups, nuclear submarines, stealth weaponry, militarizing of space, etc, etc. But a "real enemy" like Russia would. And of course, there are some Americans who covet Russia's natural resources and the dismemberment of the Russian Federation. These folks also do not want to see a genuine normalization of West's relations with Russia. They will do whatever they can and whenever they can to weaken the Russian Federation. So, some normalization in relations is possible, but full cooperation and trust between the West and Russia is not yet possible because of American resistance. If Russia genuinely ceases to be an "enemy of America" (which will happen only on American terms), then the White House and the pentagon would need to create a replacement "enemy" to justify the massive defense spending - China, for example.

Russia's foreign policy was quite successful in 2009. Let's look at some successes: 1. Stopped Saakashvili's insane attack on S. Ossetis. 2. Recognized Abxhasian and S. Ossetian independence, thus permanently ending any opportunity for Georgia to require the territories. 3. Exposed USA, NATO, and EU to be "paper tigers" in their response to the August 08 war. 4. Derailed Georgian and Ukrainian quest to join NATO - probably for good. 5. Prevented massive rearming of Georgia 6. Exhibited very clever diplomatic handling of the Georgian mess. 7. Have reduced the Americans to begging for Russian assistance in Afghanistan. 8. Entered into lucrative oil development deals with Iraq at the expense of US. 9. Numerous diplomatic and economic inroads to Europe and Asia 10. Projecting its power into Latin America. 11. Enhanced Russia's image throughout the world. Overall, I believe that 2009, has been pretty good for Russia.

This the "reset bottom" change of policy that the West made in 2008 is probably nothing but an act parallel to that Nacy Germany did in 1939: Its primary goal is to soften Russia's attention, while at the same time the West, led by US, makes the preparations in secrecy to deliver a decisive blow to Russia. At first glance such a claim may seem irrational, as the West has already been heavily engaged against Muslim world. The situation is however drastically parallel to that which Nacy Germany was faced against, back in 1939: There are deeper strategic considerations that point to a conclussion that only Russia remained as a pivot of hope for all those that has not been conquired yet by Western "democracies". Therefore, in eyes of the US and other relevant Western countries (Britain, and a few others) Russia must be "neutralized", after which a step they would be able to take a full control over the whole globe. That's why Nacy Germany attacked Russia back in 1941, and that's why the US will surely attack on Russia in the near future. So, Russia be ready, as the decisive moment is coming soon! There is, however, one positive aspect that still maintains a hope, and it is that Russia can never be defeated, due to its geographic largeness, and due to its huge arsenal of nuclear and concentional weaponry!!! It is virtually undefeatable regardless of whether it is led by an Emperor, or by Stalin, or Putin. Noone has succeeded so far in conquiring Russia. Once they make a step onto the Russian soil the Westerners will soon become aware how difficult it was to previous invaders on Russia. Just remember Napolean, remember Adolf Hitler, and how miserably they ended! In my opinion, these Westerners will be learned the lesson in the most bitter way, so that for the centuries to come it will reside paintfully imprinted in their memory.