Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin has said that US Defense Secretary Robert Gates’s insistence that the decision on missile defense was not about Russia reveals ‘a rather difficult negotiating partner, a partner who is loaded in many ways by a Cold War mentality’.  The Chief of Russia’s general Staff has stated that no decision has yet been made on plans to deploy missiles in the Kaliningrad enclave.  Apparently ‘negotiations aren’t going easily’, regarding Russia-US arms reduction.  An op-ed piece in Reuters describes how the US has a ‘lot of bargaining chips’ in its dealings with Moscow.  Russia won’t relinquish any level of control easily however, argues an article in the New York Times.  Apparently Medvedev will not have time for his meeting with ‘dissidents’ whilst in the US.