(2005-05-09) — This weekend’s meetings between the U.S. and Russian presidents failed to produce the expected tension and bitterness, but international experts and media sources are hopeful that future meetings will prove more fruitful.

While President George Bush’s time in Russia did generate some heartwarming pictures of him driving President Vladimir Putin’s 1956 Volga and placing flowers at the Russian tomb of the unknowns, the lack of substantive personal clashes proved disappointing to many observers.

“When we heard the pre-taped 60 Minutes interview with Putin, we felt certain we’d see the long-desired vitriolic breakthrough in Moscow,” said one unnamed journalist quoting an unnamed high-ranking U.S. government source. “Perhaps if Mike Wallace would mediate the next Bush-Putin session it could be more productive in terms of personal attacks, and open bitterness.”

As it happened, the two leaders “frittered away their time together discussing common interests and areas of mutual agreement, particularly joint-efforts to fight terrorism,” the source said.

Observers found especially disturbing the obvious mutual affection and respect shared by Presidents Bush and Putin.

“Many in the news media yearn for the golden era of rhetorical battle and saber-rattling between the superpowers,” he added. “The Cold War wasn’t as bad as the Reaganite historical revisionists make it out to be. The relationship is so pathetic now that a meeting of the U.S and Russian presidents in Red Square barely makes page one, above the fold. It’s sad.”

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