In the campaign for the GOP presidential nomination, the US-Russia "reset" already has begun to emerge as an issue. Or, more precisely, efforts are underway to encourage various contenders in the hotly contested Republican race to seize upon the "reset" so as to fault Mr. Obama's performance. Some of these efforts can be sourced to foreign influences--notably, lobbying efforts in Washington on behalf of Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili--attempting to skew American policy toward Russia to fit their own agendas, irrespective of the interests of the United States.

We urge GOP candidates and the Republican Party to abandon irrelevant Cold War concepts and rhetoric, and the temptation to score cheap points against Mr. Obama and each other. Instead, Republicans would do well to take a broader and more nuanced perspective on how a constructive policy toward Russia can enhance our national security and extricate the US from the global overextension that is a major contributor to the economic and financial crisis wracking the nation.

The views of various experts, cited below, suggest constructive new approaches to thinking about Russia, its leadership, and US-Russian relations.

- James George Jatras, Former Foreign Policy Analyst, US Senate Republican Policy Committee, US Foreign Service Officer

- Edward D. Lozansky, President, American University in Moscow

- Anthony T. Salvia, Former Special Advisor to the Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs (appointee of President Ronald Reagan)

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Putin was initially quite cooperative with the Bush administration, and in return he watched as the U.S. withdrew from the ABM Treaty, NATO was expanded into the Baltics, U.S. bases were set up throughout Central Asia, other ex-Soviet states were being put on a path to future NATO membership, the U.S. and our allies recognized Kosovo, and American officials berated Russia over its internal affairs. The more we acknowledge that Russian policy is dictated by Russian perception of their national interests, rather than by the preferences of a particular leader, the better chance we have of recognizing where our interests are shared and where we can accommodate their objections.

- Daniel Larison, The American Conservative

In Russia today, there is a widespread belief that when the Soviet Union gave up its global empire, allowed itself to be split apart into 15 nations and brought the Red Army home from Europe, America exploited her weakness by moving NATO onto her front porch. We brought the Baltic states, all former republics of the USSR, into an alliance aimed against Russia. George W. Bush sought to bring in Ukraine and Georgia, thereby surrounding a Russia that had sought our friendship with U.S. power.

- Pat Buchanan, Human Events

Vladimir Putin, contrary to conventional wisdom, is not deeply opposed to U.S. interests. In 2001-2002, Putin pursued his own version of a 'reset' in American-Russian relations, and his foreign-policy orientation at that time was at least as amenable to U.S. interests as Medvedev's today.

- Andrew Kuchins, The New York Times

America realizes that it needs Europe as a global ally, and that its cooperation with Russia is of mutual and expanding benefit.

- Zbigniew Brzezinski speaking at the Global Policy Forum in Yaroslavl

...why the assumption that Putin's return to the Kremlin will be bad for Western interests? For example, the New York Times reported Sept. 28 that Western bankers and corporations welcomed the announcement as "a net positive for foreign investors." It's also noteworthy that from 2000 to 2008, when Putin was president, he made more important concessions to Washington than Medvedev has during the past four years.

- Katrina vanden Heuvel and Stephen F. Cohen, Washington Post

The Russians are right! We're wrong! Georgia started it, the Russians ended it.

- Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) at House hearing on Russia-Georgia war, 2008

One can resolve national problems in the former Soviet republics only through the total dissolution of their imperial structures. For example, Georgia is such a small empire holding Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and other national regions.

- Andrei Sakharov, Nobel Peace Laureate, magazine Ogonyok

This time around, having learned how NATO can expand such resolutions, Russia vetoed the UNSC resolution in Syria. It has been met with huffing and the usual attribution of ulterior motives. But it's quite simple: Russia is a status quo power, which would prefer no change because it fears it will not benefit (primum non nocere again). It doesn't like NATO deciding national borders and who should rule them. It is skeptical of the sincerity of "humanitarian" motives. It feels it was burned by the Libya resolution, which quickly morphed into a full-out overthrow of Gaddafy. It wonders who's next on the list. Not so hard to predict.

- Patrick Armstrong, former Political Counselor, Canadian Embassy in Moscow

There was no rule of law in this country in the '90s. That's why I think Putin is a great leader. He has brought rule of law to Russia, and that has unlocked great wealth for the population - increased incomes and made things better here. Foreign businesses feel more comfortable in Russia now. Putin has transformed this nation in a great way, and I think he should be credited for that...

- Christopher van Riet, Texas-born investor and entrepreneur resident in Moscow since 1995, Moscow Times, September 23, 2011

The easiest way to say is that Jackson-Vanik Amendment does not apply to Russia - period. It does not apply to Russia since Russia ceased blocking emigration and ceased being a non-market economy.

- Richard Perle, Congressional Quarterly

The Obama administration has been actively supporting Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization, since Russia's membership in the WTO will create new markets for US exports and increase opportunities for US companies, farmers, ranchers, investors, and workers.....the termination of the Jackson-Vanik Amendment is a splendid idea because we cannot afford to put our farmers, manufacturers, and workers at a disadvantage when competing against other WTO members for market share in Russia.

- Michael McFaul, U.S. Ambassador to Russia at his Senate confirmation hearing

Putin is no more "Soviet" than he is Hindu... He falls well within the Russian tradition. Under VVP, Russia [has gone] from chronic deficit and decline to: fastest sustainable growth in Eastern Europe; world's 3rd largest forex reserves; huge reduction in poverty, improved demographics; an independent foreign policy centered on Russian self-interest...And, of course the Western press hates it!

- Eric Kraus, investment banker, Moscow

Our message to America is simple. The Cold War is over and we need each other to meet the enormous challenges of the 21st Century. The "Reset" policy in the relations between our two great nations is not a gift or charity to Russia or USA. It is mutually beneficial to both our countries and therefore must continue and expand no matter who is occupying the White House or the Kremlin.

- Maria Borodunova, Valeriya Dresvyanskaya, Anna Kosenkova, Anastasia Kurnevich, Elizaveta Lebedeva, Alisa Miroshnichenko, Elizaveta Rodina, Alexander Seliverstov, Ivan Trishanov, students of the Department of World Politics, Moscow State University; Irina Bubnova, American University in Moscow