Putin's Gassed

Here is the best counsel I've seen on what lessons to draw from the Russo-Ukrainian natural gas dust-up:

There's a silver lining to Putin using the the state-owned company and its natural gas supplies in a raw attempt to influence Ukranian politics - it's a great clarifier. Please, Mr. President, no more "I looked in his eyes and saw the soul of a good man." The man's a power-hungry thug and felt poisoning Yushchenko's soup wasn't enough. We know what we're dealing with now. We cannot trust Putin.

Which is why we cannot trust Russia to protect our safety or interests in Iran. They can meet, and consider proposals, but we should not be fooled into thinking that Russian intervention will mitigate the threat of an Iranian nuclear arsenal.

Before it's all said and done, Russia will be our enemy once again, and at the Iranians' behest. Which is all the more reason to take out the mullahgarchy sooner rather than later, and destroy the "hooks" that will otherwise drag the Russians, and Israel and the West, to an uncomfortably fiery fate.

UPDATE 1/5: Ottawa Citizen columnist David Warren concurs....