Somewhere deep down in the labyrinthine hallways of the Kremlin, I like to imagine the silovik team currently handling the country’s foreign policy (this week) vigorously debating which foreign leader can most quickly be flown into Tskhinvali for a photo shoot, press conference, and official recognition ceremony (Kokoity might even share a three-liter bowl of wine with the visiting dignitary). Should we bring in Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus? Naw, we’re getting close to the annexation date, so that won’t look so good! How about our main man in Tehran? No can do, apparently he’s been on the phone with Washington all day discussing a deluge of new energy deals. Hugo Chavez of course wants to come over immediately, but Putin just won’t put up with another six-hour episode of Aló Presidente. OK, perhaps they haven’t run out of ideas yet, but following Dmitry Medvedev’s disappointing trip to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tajikstan, the first round of diplomacy to attract additional nations to sign on for the recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia appears to have been in vain. Putin’s reaction: blame the whole war on the United States. My reaction: what person in the Kremlin would have ever thought for a second that China would sign up for this one?