A contrarian perspective from the Times of London

I don't think the press has done enough reporting beyond the surface on Russian foreign policy under Putin and Medvedev-and why the Russians are so angry.

I have no basis for judging whether the Times editor is right about Russia's military and international standing. Calling the five former Soviet bloc republics "European" feels hyperbolic-in fact, almost irrelevant. Those five were standing up for a neighbor, not for an aspiring NATO member.

However, I assume that the State Department has a more empathetic, informed grasp of what's driving the bear than most Americans. Given our own inadequate commitment to creating a strong foreign service corps, and Congress's inattention, that may be a little too optimistic.