Obama’s Russia Gambit

Robert Kagan is pretty worried about the new administration cutting defense spending. From the Washington Post:

The Obama administration is right to want to begin negotiations with Russia over missile defense and arms control. But it is a poor opening gambit to announce a cut in American defense spending before negotiations even begin. If Russian leaders believe the United States is looking for a way out of weapons systems — they will negotiate accordingly. They might ask why they should make a deal at all.