America's new ally

Its four weeks until President-elect Obama's inauguration and then the fun begins. The members of his new administration are very familiar - made up of current Bush appointees like Robert Gates and Democrat regulars, in particular Secretary of State Clinton. But we are no wiser as to how the new administration will approach the countless problems facing the world. Foreign policy never works the same in print or the academic arena as it does in the bad and dangerous real world.

Plenty has been written about who President Obama will visit first and which foreign leader will have that privilege of an Oval lawn press conference first. The convention says that American leaders usually engage with key regional allies first. Canada and Mexico are the usual favourites. But international allies often follow quickly. President Chirac was the first foreign leader to visit George Bush, although this was before his inauguration. Blair was the first non North American leader to visit in February 2001. British prime minister Brown and President Sarkozy will be champing at the bit, after either Mexico or Canada are catered for.

But given the critical situation in the world, this convention of meeting key international allies should be put off this time. Here is an alternative first visitor. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev should at least be at the White house before the first month is out. Russia are widely feared and distrusted, but their importance is vastly understated.

The worsening in relations between the United States and Russia during the Bush era was totally avoidable, reflecting American arrogance and Russian bitterness. The five day Georgian conflict was the culmination of this decline. Bush and Putin had initially warmed and had many similarities - both blunt and arrogant men united with machismo and callousness as seen by their hardline responses to terrorist atrocities. As Obama's website summarizes well: "the Bush Administration's erratic policy of embracing Vladimir Putin but neglecting U.S.-Russian relations". America's Iranian obsession that led to missiles defence plans in Eastern Europe and blind unilateralism that left no room for anyone but a few willing "partners", created unnecessary splits.

The installation of missiles in Poland and Czech Republic and the encroaching expansion of the NATO to Georgia, owed plenty to a Cold war ideology of containment and arms build ups that still remained in the Republican party. As Obama's campaign puts well again: "Retrofitting outdated 20th century thinking to address this new 21st century challenge". With these Cold war warriors finally gone, a new attitude to Russia can develop in Washington. Not only is Russia a different international player to its Cold war guise, new global realities make Russia both a completely different potential ally with modern day interests but also with a previously untouched range of talents that the international community can draw on. Russia through its immense historical authority and vast natural resources still has the power to influence in the world's most difficult places. This persuasiveness has been left on the sides lines for the last eight years. Obama, hopefully, is smart enough to realise that Russia is indispensable.

Russia realises like the rest of the world that Obama's presidency is a watershed. Obama and Medvedev have already spoken and US-Russia relations were put down as a priority. Creating positive relations with Russia, is also given its own sub-heading on Obama's website. To him it should and does rank alongside working with Israel, dealing with Iran and of course Iraq.