Russia’s ex-KGB agent leader is probably not happy with the free world’s defiance of his neo-Sovietism. From Fox News:

BUCHAREST, Romania — NATO leaders have agreed to fully endorse President Bush’s plan to build a missile defense system in Eastern Europe and to urge Russia to drop its objections to the shield, senior American officials said Thursday.

The endorsement is contained in a communique that the leaders of the 26-nation military alliance will adopt Thursday during their summit being held here, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity ahead of the statement’s release.

The document will state that “ballistic missile proliferation poses an increasing threat to allied forces, territory and populations.” It also will recognize “the substantial contribution to the protection of allies … to be provided by the U.S.-led system,” the officials said.

The statement calls on all NATO members to explore ways in which the planned U.S. project, to be based in Poland and the Czech Republic, can be linked with future missile shields elsewhere. It says leaders should come up with recommendations to be considered at their next meeting in 2009, the officials said.

The document calls on Russia to accept U.S. and NATO offers to cooperate on the system, the officials said.

Russia vehemently opposes the plan, believing it will threaten its own deterrent force and upset the balance of power in Europe. The backing from NATO provides Bush with a powerful leg up in his negotiations with Moscow over the issue.

Putin had hoped he could threaten Eastern Europe into acquiescence so the NATO countries’ decision to move forward is a slap in the face of the bellicose leader. It also comes on the heels of an American resolution by the House of Representatives that in essence accuses Putin’s government of orchestrating a state sanctioned murder of Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko.

Russia meanwhile is still planning to block recognition of Kosovo in the United Nations, a fight we don’t need frankly and NATO has thrown Russia a bone by stalling on membership for Georgia and the Ukraine.

If all this sounds almost Cold War-ish to you that’s because it is. The problem is our government doesn’t seem to see it. We’re treating our problems with Russia as some sort of friendly disagreement and not as rising tensions with a man dedicated to re-birthing the Soviet Union and destroying our way of life.