Dmitry Medvedev has hit the road, and his first major diplomatic act as president of the Russian Federation is aimed at angering the United States.

It’s twofold: First, he and Chinese President Hu Jintao agreed to a $1 billion pact under which Russia would build a nuclear-enrichment plant there and supply uranium. Then, they criticized the proposed missile defense shield in Eastern Europe — without naming names or specific location — saying it would “not support strategic balance and stability, and harm international efforts to control arms and the non-proliferation process.”

Read about it at the NYT.

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