russian scholar, chrystia freeland of the "financial times", claire shipman of abc news and thomas pickering, the leading american diplomat and former u.s. ambassador to russia and undersecretary of state for political affairs. >> we expanded nato, we left the a.b.m. treaty, russia helped us win the ground war in afghanistan more than any other country in 2001 and 2002 and we gave them nothing, we just expanded nato and withdrew from the treaty and the political class looked at him and said "fool. weakling. we look like pushovers, we give; they take." that's why... that's the real issue of what happened and is happening in moscow. >> i think the big choice for russia still is the choice that it faced in '89, '91, '96, 2000, which is between democracy and pluralism and authoritarianism. and i absolutely do not see how appeasing, placating this sort of neo-imperialistic mood which

, chrystia freeland of the "financial times" from washington, claire shipman of abc news and thomas pickering, former u.s. ambassador to russia. i am pleased to have all of them here. i begin with ambassador pickering in washington. what might... what will be accomplished in moscow? >> i think what we will see here are probably the first steps in what we all hope will be a coming together rather than a drifting apart, which was characteristic of probably the last decade or so in u.s./russian relations, centerpieced around the nuclear agreement that they all hope to have done by the end of the year. but with a number of the other things that have been added to it, including i would add perhaps reminiscent of my time in moscow a management arrangement for the u.s./russian regulationships that brings together the two presidents in charge of an arrangement where the secretary of state and the minister of foreign affairs of russia will actually perhaps some do some of the whiplashing. but much like the cheer know mere din arrangement which was characteristic of the yeltsin clinton period. >> rose:

university, a russian scholar, chrystia freela of the "financial tes", clae shipman of abc ns and thomas pickering, theeading american diplomat a former u.s. ambassador to russia d undersecretary of state for political affair >> we expanded nato we left the b.m. treaty, russia helped us win the ground w in afghanistan more tn any other couny in 2001 and 2002 and ve them nothing, we just expandedato and withdrew from the treatand the political class lookedt him and said "fool. weakling. we look like pushovers, we give; they take." that's why... that'she real issue of whatappened and is happeninin moscow. >> i think the big choice f russia still is thehoice that it fac in '89,'91, '96, 2000, which between democracy and pluralismnd authoritarianism. and i absolutely do not see how peasing, plating this sort ofeo-imperialistic mood which putin has been very consously buildingp in any way plays to the positive sides of ssia. >>there's been a mieading for almost a decade of whatussia needed. there is a huge psyological component doling with russia as a fallen pire and i n't think very many of our leader

university, a russian scholar, chrystia freend of the "financialimes", cire shipman of abcews and thoma pickering, the leading american diplomatnd former u.s. ambassador to russiaand undersecretary of state for political affas. >> we expanded nat, we lef the a.b.m. treaty, russia helped us win the groundar in afghanistan morehan any other cotry in 2001 and 2002 andwe gave them nothing, we just expand nato and withdrew fr the trey and the political class looked at him and said "fool. weakling. we look like pushovers, we give; they take." that's why... that's the real issu of what happened and is happeng in moscow. >> i think the big choiceor russia still is the choice that it fed in '8, '91, '96 2000, whicis between democracy and pluralism and thoritarianism. and i absolutely do not see how appeasing, pcating this sort of neo-imperialistic mood whic putin has been ver cociously buildi up in any way plays to the positive side ofrussia. >> there's been a sreading for almost a decade of wh russia needed. there is a hug pchological componento doling with russia as a fallen empi and don't think very ma

joining us now, three experts on nuclear proliferation and g geopolitics, thomas pickering, a member of global zero, an international organization droeted to eliminating all nuclear weapons. frank gaffney, director of the center for security policy, let me turn first to you, frank gaffney. you're critical of what the president has just done with president medvedev of russia. why? >> lou, i'm worried about it in its own right. i think that he's acting in great haste under an artificial deadline imposed by this start treaty that is supposed to expire at the end of the year. he's making cuts that i think are too deep, that are unverifiable, and that, unfortunately, worst of all, mask the real agenda of this president, which is not to move in some sort of lock-step with the russians as much as it is to move the united states aggressively, and i think even unilaterally, in the direction that he has campaigned for, which is a nuclear free world. it turns out "the new york times" said last sunday that this ambition has been one he's had since 1983 when he was a radical at columbia. a radica

to how much the two can cooperate to dl with these very difficult and iractable problems >> thomas pickering, who's been there, knows it, and can give us the best guidance on what to expect out of moscow toda thank you mh, mr. ambassador, od to see you again. >> thanks, andrea. nice to be with you. >>> when we comeba wasilla, alaska, and the attorney for sarah palin, exclusively on msnbc, when we ce back. freere! tell your friends, tell your dad, tell your mom never mind, they've been singing g ousosong sincwe first showed up witith our pirate hats on! if you'r're noinin fake sword figh popointylippers and grgrn n wo tights takeke aipip fm a knight who knonows free credidirerepo dot com, let's go! vovo: fer applies with enllllmentn triple advantage. new and d only froprogressive. call or click today. >>> welcome back. we're live in wasilla, alaska. with me now, tom van flein, atrney for sarah palin. thanks for jng us. let's give you a chance to try to address the rumorsut there about another shoe to drop. >> weon't ha enough time for all the rumors out there. we can talk abt thenes that seem