Russian expert, Russian expert...

Wherefore art thou, Russian expert?

...while the control of Crimea by President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has brought America’s Russia experts in from the cold, the news media spotlight has also showed important shifts in how American academics and policy makers think about Russia, not to mention the quality and quantity of the people doing the thinking. Among those experts, there is a belief that a dearth of talent in the field and ineffectual management from the White House have combined to create an unsophisticated and cartoonish view of a former superpower, and potential threat, that refuses to be relegated to the ash heap of history.

Speaking of the ash heap of history, didn't the former Governors of Alaska and Massachusetts have some warnings about Russia for Barack Obama during both of his campaigns. Then there was this gal from George W. Bush's Administration;

Young [Condoleeza] Rice became fascinated with Russian politics and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science at the age of 19.  By 20, she had a Master’s Degree from The University of Notre Dame, and by 26 she had returned to the Graduate School of International Studies at the University of Denver to earn her Ph.D. with both advanced degrees in Political Science.

After earning her Ph.D., Rice became a professor of Political Science at Stanford University and later became a fellow at the prestigious Hoover Institute on that campus.  Drawing off her expertise in Russian politics, Rice became increasingly involved in the federal government, serving as a Special Assistant to the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1986, and Director of Soviet and Eastern European Affairs for the National Security Council in 1989.  ....

When George W. Bush was elected President of the United States in 2001, he chose Rice as his National Security Advisor....  In 2005, after Colin Powell’s resignation as Secretary of State, Rice was chosen as the 66th United States Secretary of State, one of the most powerful positions in federal government.

Someone who has actually spoken with Vladimir Putin without needing an interpreter, could be useful. No?