Russia

One of NATO’s harshest critics is President-elect Vladimir Putin, Russia’s longtime leader, who was just voted in to a third term. Putin, who under normal circumstances would attend the summit, says he won’t unless NATO changes its tune on missile defense.

Putin is opposed to a planned NATO missile shield that, the alliance says, would protect against nations with missile technology (namely, Iran). Russia says the shield could grow powerful enough to intercept Russian missiles, undercutting the country’s nuclear capabilities. Putin has agreed to meet with top officials from NATO to discuss these concerns but, so far, that meeting has not come to fruition.

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In a recent open mic slip, President Obama was overheard telling Russia’s current president, Dmitry Medvedev, that he expects to have more “flexibility” to engage in talks about the missile shield after re-election. The comments suggest that, if Obama wins a second term, the U.S. might act as mediator between Europe and Russia on this issue.

Putin is also sharply critical of NATO for intervening in Libya. The alliance, he said, went far beyond the bounds of a U.N. Security Council resolution that authorized intervention to protect civilians.

“When the entire so-called civilized community falls upon a small country with all its might, destroys infrastructure created over generations – I don't know, is that good or not? I don’t like it,” Putin said last year. In his view, the U.N. resolution on Libya was "a call for everyone to come and do whatever they want," including bomb peaceful civilians. Russia, a permanent member of the Security Council, abstained from the vote on intervention.

Russia also takes issue with NATO’s withdrawal timetable in Afghanistan, saying a swift exit could exacerbate safety and drug trafficking concerns. Rising drug use and HIV rates in Russia can be traced, in part, to instability and drug trafficking in Afghanistan.

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