It was all a far cry from the bleak old days of the Cold War. No one pounded a table with a shoe; no one threatened to bury anyone. The focus was on economic modernization, but it didn't feel especially dramatic. Maybe that's a good thing.

Barack Obama went traditional. Decked out in a light blue shirt and burgundy tie, the U.S. president ordered a cheddar-cheeseburger with onions, lettuce, tomato, and bread-and-butter pickles. He drank iced tea. Dmitry Medvedev added a little spice. The Russian leader, sporting a white shirt and dark tie, went for a cheddar-cheeseburger with onions, jalapenos, and mushrooms. He drank a Coke.

On Wednesday, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev toured the headquarters of Twitter. Besides having a fruitful cultural exchange with Twitter co-founder Evan Williams, he also fired off his first tweet

On Wednesday, during a visit to Silicon Valley, Mr. Medvedev made it even easier to practice at least an amateur version of Kremlinology by opening two new Twitter accounts for the Kremlin — one in Russian and one in English — during a visit to the popular micro-blogging service’s corporate headquarters.

Russian President Dmitri Medvedev is seeking to entice investment from American businesses during his visit to the United States. But analysts in Moscow say while Russia wants American capital, it does not want the United States meddling in Russian domestic affairs.

“We are not a member of the E.U., but we are a European country.” So spoke President Dmitri Medvedev of Russia in an interview with Western journalists last week, on the eve of the G-20 summit and a key meeting with President Barack Obama in Toronto. His words are worth thinking about.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's visit to Silicon Valley this week to meet with technology leaders is part of a larger strategy for the US and Russia to improve business ties as the two countries try to “reset” relations with the incoming Obama administration.

Diplomats in many corners of the world are puzzled by what appears to be a fundamental shift in Russia's foreign policies in recent months, from a strategy based on threat and intimidation to one of a low profile seeking friendship, especially with Western countries.