Russia's Intensifying Diplomatic Courtship of Europe

Russian President Dmitri Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin are engaged in a flurry of diplomatic activity aimed at Poland, Italy and the European Union. These efforts come shortly after a tepid NATO summit in Lisbon that left many NATO members feeling that the alliance is becoming irrelevant. The moves are designed to strengthen Moscow's relations with key players in Europe, other than France and Germany, to smooth the way for Russia's resurgence in its near abroad.