Putin's Cold War stance chills ties, says Obama

President Barack Obama complained Friday that Russia had adopted a frostier stance towards the United States since Vladimir Putin's return to the Kremlin, but both camps insisted ties have not broken down.
However, Obama said it was appropriate for the US to pause and reassess its relationship with Russia, in the face of anti-America rhetoric and "backwards" thinking from President Putin.
Washington and Moscow are at loggerheads over the war in Syria, the fate of US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden, missile defense, nuclear disarmament and human rights.
And so great is the gulf between the former Cold War foes on many of these issues that Obama this week canceled a planned summit meeting with Putin next month.
In a near hour-long press conference at the White House, Obama was stark in his assessment of current US-Russian relations.
Obama said there had been more anti-American rhetoric since Putin returned to Russian presidency, which "played into some of the old stereotypes about the Cold War contest".
"I've encouraged Mr Putin to think forward as opposed to backwards on those issues, with mixed success," Obama told reporters, before heading for his summer holiday at Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.
He said that during his photocalls with Mr Putin, the Russian leader "has got that kind of slouch, looking like he's the bored kid in the back of the classroom". But he said their discussions in private had been constructive.
The president added that he did not have a "bad personal relationship" with Putin.
"There's been cooperation in some areas. There's been competition in others. It is true that in my first four years in working with President Medvedev, we made a lot of progress."
"What's also true is, is that when President Putin... came back into power, I think we saw more rhetoric on the Russian side that was anti-American, that played into some of the old stereotypes about the Cold War," Obama said.
"And I've encouraged Mr Putin to think forward as opposed to backwards on those issues. With mixed success," Obama added.