Tear Down This Wall

Presidents Bush and Putin are meeting today in the Russian resort town of Sochi on the Black Sea. The goal of this two-day sit down is to hammer out a "strategic framework" of U.S.-Russian relations.

President Bush has referred to this meeting as a "heart-to-heart" between "two old war horses." A relationship strained over NATO expansion and Missile Defense presents much to hammer out. Spokespersons from both administrations indicate that no one expects a final agreement over missile defense, and that "more work" will be needed.

Things seem to be moving in the right direction. Putin has recently eased his tone, suggesting this week, "Let's be friends, guys, and be frank and open."

On Sunday the President will meet with Putin's protégé and successor, Dmitry Medvedev. The two days of meetings will help to establish a tone for future talks between Medvedev and the next U.S. president.

A missile defense shield will be a pretty good legacy for President Bush; echoes of Reagan are a Republican Grail. That NATO and our allies have endorsed it is a triumph. Smoothing out the increasingly contentious relationship with Russia recalls both Reagan and Bush 41.

Add to that the fact that Croatia and Albania have been added to NATO, that there is still a path for former Soviet states Georgia and Ukraine, and the President's championing of the deserved but unsuccessful bid by Macedonia, and an Eastern European legacy begins to take shape.

The story of President Bush's foreign policy will always take place in the deep shadow of the middle east; President Putin's legacy darkened with the long shadow of an oppressive Kremlin.

This weekend, in the shadow of the Caucuses Mountain, the two leaders will have the opportunity to design their own historic echoes. The divisions are numerous, and the possibility of harmonious consensus is remote to say the least. President Bush is taking his moment to forge warmer relations with a Russia renewed. It's a weekend worth watching, and maybe someday it will be one worth remembering.

Update: Per expectations, no agreement was forged. Putin has said that "certain progress is obvious," a statement the White House indicated was just what they wanted to hear. The President also looked into Medvedev's eyes and apparently saw "a straightforward fellow." Although the two leaders were effusive in their praise of one another, it's clear that no major issues were resolved.