TODAY: Medvedev article positive on US relations; human rights activist Lev Ponomarev hospitalized after being beaten in Moscow; Lukashenko opens bidding war?; Khodorkovsky second trial begins; limousines.

An article in the Washington Post by Dmitry Medvedev (reprinted here) says that Russia and the United States should rebuild their relations and work together on key global issues, and that neither side wanted ‘drift and indifference’.  He also referred to ‘toxic assets‘ – possibly Russia’s Iranian ties and NATO’s membership offers to Ukraine and Georgia – although it seems unlikely that Dmitry Rogozin will be happy to let this latter issue go.  Now, as one European specialist put it, ‘Where’s the beef?’  Medvedev will meet with US President Barack Obama today ahead of the G20 summit, for which the BBC is running live updates.  A row that arose between Russia and the US over allegations of Russian spying is reportedly nearing resolution.