Bush Remains Faithful Friend to Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, looks at President Bush as they talk about their meetings, Monday, July 2, 2007, at the Bush family compound on Walker's Point in Kennebunkport, Maine. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia) (Stephan Savoia - AP)

The West, experts agree, needs Russia's help on a host of critical issues ranging from independence for the Serbian province of Kosovo to Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program.

"The agenda of the meeting was not important at all," said Shevtsova. "What was important was the fact of the meeting in the midst of this crisis. The goal was to stop the cool from getting cold."

Putin's chief goal, Shevtsova and other analysts say, was to demonstrate to Russian citizens _ in advance of parliamentary and presidential elections over the next eight months _ that he is a respected figure in the West.

His treatment, she said, shows that he can stand up to the United States and still be respected by Washington.

"This is a kind of demonstration that, 'I'm tough. I'm in charge, I'm a world-respected leader," Shevtsova said.

As the first world leader to call the White House and offer condolences after the Sept. 11 attacks, Putin earned the gratitude of the White House. The Russian leader also overcame objections from his military to let the U.S. military open bases in Central Asia to support operations in Afghanistan.

But Putin seemed to sour on U.S. foreign policy after the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also reacted with irritation to Western criticism that the Kremlin was trying to consolidate power by rolling back democratic reform.

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Douglas Birch is Moscow bureau chief for The Associated Press.