Obama to differ from Bush on Russia

WASHINGTON, Nov. 26 (UPI) -- U.S. President-elect Barack Obama has mostly kept quiet on how he intends to deal with Russia but it's likely he'll differ from current policy, analysts say.

Obama has kept his options open on the establishment of a missile defense shield in Eastern Europe, which the Bush administration strongly supported and justified as a means to defend European allies against "rogue states," such as Iran.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev was one of the few world leaders who greeted Obama's election with threats this month when he said the shield plans would prompt him to position short-range ballistic missiles in Kaliningrad, the Washington publication Politico reported Wednesday.

It's possible Obama could side with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who sees the defense shield as needless provocation.

"President-elect Obama made no commitment on it," Obama foreign policy adviser Denis McDonough told ABC News. "His position is as it was throughout the campaign, that he supports deploying a missile defense system when the technology is proved to be workable."

Obama is sure to differ from U.S. President George Bush is on arms reductions negotiations, aiming to renew Clinton administration efforts that were set aside the last eight years, Strobe Talbott, President Clinton's top Russia adviser, told Politico.