I understand a lot of your concerns. In this particular case, I am thinking that we're not so much abandoning our allies as we are trying to build bridges and strengthen ties with Russia. We need political capital with Russia, especially given their ties to Iran. If Iran gets out of control, we don't need Russia involved on their side. That's probably a pipe dream, but it never hurts to be on speaking terms with the whole world, especially the ones with nuclear weapons.

Bryan