Now that Russia has successfully stolen the spotlight to become President-elect Barack Obama’s #1 foreign policy puzzle, a deluge of advice is pouring in from all corners. Let’s hope that the next president is already aware of most of the obvious Moscow rules, but these guidelines from David Satter are quite interest and not uncontroversial. For the impatient, I will summarize: don’t pal around like Bush did, don’t presume regularity, get a restraining order on Kissinger and co., and never lose your sense of values.

1. Don’t treat the Russian leader as a “friend.” U.S. policy toward Russia must be based on principles, not personalities. It is not possible to “charm” Russian leaders into ignoring what they regard as Russia’s national interest, and the attempt to do so at the expense of our principles will destroy our moral capital with the Russian people.