Russian President Vladimir Putin still insists that Russia is at odds if not still at ‘war’ with the United States and wants nothing of this missile shield. After bragging that their successful tests of a multi-warhead nuclear missile would defeat the missile shield that the United States has in mind for Poland and the Czech Republic, you can expect that Putin will be banging his shoe on the desk about this at the G8 Summit next week in Germany. This, after the Bush administration, and Bush himself, encouraged Putin to join in on the shield and participate. After all, we are allies remember? The cold war is over, isn’t it? Apparently not, since Putin’s response now is that he will aim his missiles at Europe.

Putin is out there saying

The missile shield only creates the theoretical illusion that one is protected, but the possibility that a nuclear conflict is unleashed is actually greater . . .

and

“The strategic balance in the West is disturbed,” said Putin, adding Russia had to create a system to counter U.S. weapons.

Putin is to world peace what the Democrats in Washington are to the war on terror, which includes Iraq. I think it’s Putin who is disturbed and out of balance.