For many days in a row the major news around the world has been the devastation in New Orleans. And for the first time in modern history, America has agreed to accept humanitarian and logistics help from the Russian Federation. Four cargo planes loaded with professional rescue crews and doctors, water, medicines, tents, boats and a helicopter are leaving Russian airports bound for the U.S.

Russia is known for vast spaces and a severe climate. One of the most active agencies in the nation is the Russian Ministry of the Emergency Situations. They deal with snow, storms, yearly floods in Siberia, pollution, military ordnance explosions and so on. It’s almost the only agency in the world of its kind that is not police or firefighters. These responders are trained to deal with New Orleans style disasters and their consequences.

Russia has offered help to the U.S. before - during fires in the southern U.S. in 2000 and after the 9/11 attacks in New York. In both cases the help was denied, and the Americans said that they were capable of dealing with the situations without any external help.

This time is different. Two dozen countries have offered their help, and until Thursday America had been rejecting this help. Now President Bush, on behalf of the nation has said "Yes".

Americans rushed to help Russia not that long ago - when a mini submarine was strained under water off Kamchatka. For the first time since World War II, the Americans allowed to land their military equipment at highly secret Russian military airports. That would’ve been unthinkable in the Cold War days. And in the first phase of anti-terrorist operations in Afghanistan, the Americans were welcomed to use ex-Soviet airports and Russian airspace for strikes against the Taliban.

Though the New Orleans catastrophe is disastrous and staggering, I view it as a new day of international cooperation, and another harbinger of an alliance between the U.S. and Russia which will be based not just on realpolitik, but on heartfelt friendship. U.S. charities extended aid directly from the American people to the victims of the Beslan terrorist atrocity a year ago, and Russia has not forgotten.