Presidents Obama and Medvedev meet. But Putin holds the real power.

Monday Update: President Obama’s summit in Moscow does not appear to have produced any progress on stopping Russian military sales to Iran or Russian nuclear technology sales to Iran. He met with the baby-faced puppet president today, Dmitry Medvedev. Tomorrow, Mr. Obama is expected to meet with the real power in the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin. Don’t expect any serious progress on Iran then either. It’s becoming increasingly clear that Russia has, in fact, formed a strategic alliance with Iran and sees its relationship with Tehran as more important that its relationship with Washington.

Wednesday Update: President Obama and Czar Putin met yesterday for two hours. Nothing substantive seems to have come out of the meeting. The biggest news of the day: the Russian military has launched large scale war games in the Caucusus. This appears to have been the least useful, least consequential summit in the history of post-Cold war U.S.-Russian summits. Photo op foreign policy is not what is needed as Russia continues to build military alliances with Iran, Syria, Libya, and Central Asia.

HEADLINES TO TRACK:

• Russia starts large-scale war games
• Putin says Obama meeting went well
• Medvedev says Russia, US must cooperate against nuclear proliferation, doesn’t mention Iran
• Obama, Medvedev agree to deal to cut nuke weapons
• Russia, Obama clinch deals to revive ties
• CNN Analysis: Who’s in charge as Obama visits Russia?
• Russian president hopeful for Obama summit
• Obama seeking to reshape US-Russia relations
• WSJ: Russia Is Back on the Warpath