Brad Thayer and I were quoted recently in a piece on U.S.-Russian relations published by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).  The EIU piece provides a solid overview of the arms control negotiations that will occur throughout this year between Washington and Moscow regarding the expiration of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) this December.  It certainly looks as though missile defense will be the wedge issue du jour for this upcoming round of negotiations.  As EIU reports, “Russian commentators insist that there will be no new START unless the US puts its plans for a missile shield on ice.”  It will be interesting to see how these negotiations unfold. 

President Obama is clearly receptive to a bargain–at least with respect to the missile defense site in Eastern…