In 1999, Russia’s first elected President, Boris Yeltsin, resigned and appointed Vladimir Putin as Russia’s new president. Under Putin, Russia was steered into taking a much more assertive stance on international affairs. In the spring of 1999, NATO bombed the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, causing a further deterioration in US – Russia relations.
Despite apparent differences between the two countries, Putin and President George W. Bush managed to establish good, personal relations with one another. That is until the US made the decision to withdraw from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in 2001.
Vladimir Putin criticized this decision by the US, calling it a careless mistake.
Russia did not agree with many US plans. They strongly opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq by the US and regarded the expansion of NATO and US efforts to gain access to Central Asian oil and natural gas as a hostile encroachment on Russia’s sphere of influence.
Relations between the US and Russia remained strained throughout the duration of the Bush administration.
A Not-So-Fresh Start
In 2008, Dmitry Medvedev was elected as Russia’s President. With the new administration, there was a glimmer of hope that relations could be repaired. In 2009, Medvedev and President Barack Obama released a joint statement promising a “fresh start” in US – Russia relations at the 2009 G20 Summit in London.
