(Image Source: Foreign Policy Journal)

BY TRACY PFEIFFER

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As far as strange bedfellows go, Russia and NATO are tops -- the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was originally founded as a counterbalance to the Soviet Union, and relations between the two forces have been rocky ever since.

The last round of drama came in 2008 when Russia went to war its southern neighbor, Georgia -- but at a recent NATO-Russia Council summit in Lisbon, Portugal, relations between Moscow and the Alliance appeared to be on the mend. (Video: Al Jazeera)

A correspondent for RT reports the meeting, which included both NATO members and non-members, was a vision of diplomacy.

AZAROVA: “All the leaders that were here today stressed the fact that this is a new time where everybody feels comfortable discussing not only their potential benefits but also their concerns without any holding back.  So it is possibly a new chapter in relations between Russia and the Alliance.”

One of the hottest topics coming out of the summit is a comprehensive missile defense plan for Europe, with Russia on board.  A commentator for CCTV says NATO members knew going into the meeting they needed Moscow to come around -- and the feeling was mutual.

JIMENG: “In this sense I think they would involve not just their own strengths, but the strengths of non member nations, for example Russia.  Russia has also reached out for cooperation in this so-called missile defense and also the missile shield -- Russia as well is also subject to terrorist attacks within its own territory. That realization once again would unite Russia with the NATO organization.”

But an analyst on Al Jazeera warns Russia is much more cautious than many realize -- or are willing to admit.

CROOKE: “It really will want to see -- what is the true intention of NATO?  Who is it going to identify as its enemies for this coming period?  And there’s still a strong pressure within the ‘new’ Europeans -- the new Europeans, the Polands, Czechoslovakia, to see the missile defense of Europe as essentially a defense against Russia.”

A New York Times piece says other world leaders credit the progress to President Barack Obama, whose administration vowed to quote-”reset” with Moscow after ties chilled during the Bush administration.  But he’s not quite done yet--back on the home front, Obama has to convince the U.S. Senate to ratify the new START treaty, the latest arms reduction agreement between Russia and the United States. (Video: NBC)

But a writer for the Financial Times warns -- a cold reception for the START Treaty in Washington, D.C., could undo the progress made at the summit.

“If Republicans derail Barack Obama’s START arms control treaty with Russia, Moscow could be forgiven for stalling on its Nato commitments. The Republicans would be irresponsible to play politics with issues of national security.”

This latest NATO-Russia Council meeting is the first since the invasion of Georgia in 2008.

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