Obama Bid for Russia Reset Slips Amid Cold War Iciness

If mounting U.S. frustration with Russia wasn’t clear enough after President Barack Obama blamed Moscow on Feb. 11 for the starvation of Syrian civilians, this week offered plenty of other signals.

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told Congress that “an assertive Russia” poses a risk to the U.S. and aired his anger over damage to national security caused by Edward Snowden, who’s in Russia under asylum after exposing classified American spy programs. Elsewhere on Capitol Hill, lawmakers voiced concern that Russia may have violated a nuclear-arms treaty and is undermining U.S. influence in the Middle East.