Russia's no friend of ours

After reading the Middle East headlines of recent weeks, I am tempted to lose myself in flights of fancy.

Despite its daily fare violence and discord, every little step in the Middle East toward peace raises hopes and sparks idealistic dreams.

On Tuesday, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran might directly negotiate with the United States, a country he called "the Great Satan." Iran and the United States have not had diplomatic ties since Iran's 1979 revolution.

Last Friday, Hamas, the terrorist organization that won January elections in the Palestinian Authority, decided to recede from power if the international community agreed to stop the boycott of aid to Palestine. America, the EU and Israel have held back international assistance since Hamas' victory, refusing to support a group that does not recognize Israel's right to exist and commits itself to violence.

And most importantly, the horizon looks good because the Americans who hoisted the Democrats to a majority in both houses of Congress want change.

But now it is time to pop that daydreaming bubble. To effect real change in the Middle East, we must reevaluate America's wider strategy and that means taking Russia off the list of U.S. allies. It is important to practice diplomacy, to negotiate and compromise. The election signals a clear rejection of the U.S. administration's previous cowboy-strategy of unilateralism and dogmatic ideology. But it is also important to realize that some compromises are not worth making. And some allies are not worth keeping.

So far, Russia has tried to play buddy-buddy with the other great powers in terms of the Middle East.

This summer, it hosted the G-8 summit in St. Petersburg where leaders of the world's major industrialized countries gathered to discuss economic strategies and Middle East policies.

Along with the United States, the EU, and the UN, Russia also serves in the Quartet, a foursome committed to mediating the Arab-Israeli peace process.

But with ex-KGB President Vladimir Putin, Russia has turned to the tricks any wizened intelligence official knows well: say one thing, do another. Don't antagonize anyone, but play both sides. Stick to nobody and nothing but your own interests. Despite its rhetoric of following the lead and policies of the other major powers, Russian actions have veered sharply off course.

- While the EU and U.S. boycotted foreign aid to Hamas, Russia invited Hamas envoys to Moscow in March, claiming that negotiations, rather than blacklists, were the best way to deal with the terrorist group -- ironic given its violent approach to Chechen separatists.

- Russia is helping Iran build a nuclear rector and agreed to provide fuel.

- Russia refuses to join the U.S. and the EU in declaring Hamas and Hezbollah terrorist organizations.

Even now, days before Hamas once again refused to negotiate on its non-recognition of Israel, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Hamas is "ready to move toward a common ground." Either Russia is deluding itself. Or it is deluding us.

And what has been the most recent U.S. response? Allowing Russia to join the World Trade Organization (WTO). The deal should be signed this Saturday.

The U.S. trade representative, Susan Schwab, said that the WTO agreement "is a clear indication of Russia's efforts to participate fully in and benefit from the rules-based global trading system." The evidence, however, suggests otherwise.

In response to those who have criticized Russia for failing to push hard enough against Hamas, Foreign Minister Lavrov has said "ultimatums are fruitless." Well, counting on an ally that has consistently shown itself to be an untrustworthy partner in the Middle East is a relationship that can never bear fruit for the United States.