One of the less-reported developments at last week's G-8 summit was Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's about-face on the Libyan crisis. Medvedev called on Moammar Gadhafi to step down and added that Russia will not offer a safe haven to the beleaguered Libyan leader.
Russia has previously been critical of NATO's bombing campaign in Libya, and with reports now indicating that Moscow seeks to play a mediation role toward negotiating Gadhafi's exit, close observers are questioning what prompted the policy shift.
In an email interview with Trend Lines this week, Richard Weitz, who heads the Center for Political-Military Analysis at the Hudson Institute in Washington and is a World Politics Review senior editor, said Russia's move is best explained by a desire to maintain positive relations with Western Europe.