Russia has a new president-elect. There are hopes in the US and Europe that Dmitry Medvedev could foreshadow a fresh start. After the wearing clashes with Vladimir Putin, the impulse is understandable. No one has gained from the cold peace.
The west's response to the changing of the Kremlin guard should be positive without being naive. Both sides would profit from a thaw, but an important line separates sensible conciliation from capitulation. The line was drawn, albeit inadvertently, by Mr Medvedev in his interview this week with the Financial Times.
