Putin’s decision to skip the NATO summit isn’t entirely unexpected ...

Putin’s growing detachment from the West — and reality

Daniel Vajdic

For several weeks now it’s been clear that Putin won’t attend this month’s NATO summit in Chicago. 

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen recently spoke with Russia’s new/old president and explained that it’s “not possible and not practical” for Putin to participate because of his “busy domestic calendar.” 

But the real reason is missile defense. 

Moscow is furious that the U.S. has rejected its proposal for a “sectoral” arrangement that would further downgrade the system’s capabilities and give Russia the responsibility to protect NATO countries from certain ballistic-missile threats.

http://www.aei.org/article/foreign-and-defense-policy/regional/europe/putins-growing-detachment-from-the-west-and-reality/