In this New York Times op-ed, Prof. Ronald Steel, University of Southern California, argues that the U.S. needs to return to treating Russia as a superpower (A Superpower Is Reborn):
The limits of Russia's post-cold-war retreat have apparently been reached, and the reversal of the power equation has gone too far to be sustained. Today's leaders in Moscow are determined to protect what they perceive as their vital interests. The task for American leaders is not to pretend that these interests do not exist or can be safely ignored. Rather, it is to work out a modus vivendi based not on wishful thinking or dreams of even greater glory, but on the sober facts of power realities.
Prof. Steel offers specific steps on how to deal with Russia as we move past this Georgian crisis. I was struck by his comparison of Russia's actions to how the U.S. has treated Latin American countries and our other neighbors in this hemisphere. That's not to excuse any abuses, but it's an important comparison and deserves consideration.