TODAY: Obama offers to drop missile defense plans in exchange for Russia’s help on Iran; Khodorkovsky hearing begins today; regional elections ‘a small, uninteresting show’; more power struggle speculation; youths protest Georgia’s Eurovision entry.

A US official has confirmed that President Barack Obama sent a ‘secret‘ letter to President Dmitry Medvedev last month, offering to withdraw plans for a missile defense shield in Poland in exchange for Russia putting a stop to Iran’s nuclear program.  Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meanwhile has urged the United States to talk to Iran.  Analysts and journalists are still enjoying the thought of Medvedev and Putin in a power struggle, whilst a new cartoon making the rounds in Russia indicates that no one is fooled.  The Moscow Times says, ‘It is obvious that the surge in [Medvedev’s] activity is mostly PR and does not indicate any serious political or personal changes.’