TODAY: Russia “upset” over US missile shield; is Medvedev changing his mind on Zimbabwe?; Rice in Georgia, rattling Russia; Moscow awaiting explanation from Britain on Litvinenko claims. Russia is “extremely upset” about the signing of an accord between Prague and the United States over the latter’s missile defense shield, and will “not be hysterical”, but intends to take “retaliatory steps”, said Dmitry Medvedev. The Czech deputy prime minister responded to Russia’s early threats of retaliation, saying “The policy of threats has no place in the Europe of today. Russia should calm down.” Medvedev appears not to be signaling the “softer Kremlin line” that many had hoped for ahead of the G8. His success at the summit “was decidedly mixed”, says one report. Despite an apparent agreement on Zimbabwe by G8 leaders, Dmitry Medvedev is showing signs of changing his mind, postponing a vote on sanctions until tomorrow. One Russian reporter writes, “the mystical aura around Putin has vanished, and Medvedev has not been able to fill his shoes.”