ABSTRACT
Throughout 2001 scholars of US-Russian relations on both sides of the Atlantic closely watched the foreign policies of the White House and the Kremlin. Many expected that President George W. Bush and his foreign and security policy team would implement a tough, possibly Reaganite-style hard line toward Russia led by a former KGB colonel. Their policy line toward Russia had less to do with a disdain for Putin, and was more indicative of an embrace of a 'market correction' to US-Russian relations. The administration had not permanently written off Russia, but preferred to downgrade the priority accorded to the relationship, waiting to re-invest in Russia at the bottom of the market. It was determined to conduct a serious
dialogue with Russia, but only after expectations were lowered and relations had been re-balanced.
