Few signs of a thaw in the new Cold War

The trouble with Russian politicians is that it is frequently difficult to tell when they are smiling and when they are snarling. Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's new president, smiles more than Vladimir Putin, his predecessor, whose rarely bestowed grin often seemed laden with menace and condescension. Mr Medvedev also sounds more benign when he opens his mouth, as was shown last week when he spoke of his desire to search for compromise to end a prolonged crisis in relations with Britain. That gesture has raised hopes of a breakthrough when he meets Gordon Brown in Hokkaido tomorrow. Mr Medvedev may be presenting a disarming front, but does he mean what he says? A quick glance at some of the president's comments since coming to power two months ago suggests that, for all his liberal demeanour, the new president sings from the same... [read full story]