Medvedev working hard to ensure a smooth transition in US-Russian relations

Delivering his first state of the nation address since assuming the Presidency this spring, and just hours after Barack Obama was elected the 44th President of the United States, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev issued what the New York Times described as a "wide ranging attack" on the United States.

Striking a decidedly hostile tone, Medvedev attacked the US for its missile defense plans, ideology, response to the war in Georgia, NATO expansion, etc. etc. etc. While even America's harshest foreign critics have embraced the opportunity provided by a new administration (even Hugo Chavez, in his typically eloquent manner-*cough-cough*, has called for a thaw in relations), Russia has just drawn a line in the sand.

And oh yeah, he also called for a constitutional extension of presidential term limits. This was probably just a tactic to further distinguish Russia from the US, as America had just displayed the awesome power of its democratic process. Nice to see that Putin's authoritarian consolidation remains on track.

This is all very unfortunate, both in tone and timing.

(Photo: Reuters)