The Bush Administration doesn't want, understand or value allies—what they want are satellites (which Blair's England has willingly become), and it should not come as a surprise that many nations, including Russia, refuse to play this role. The blow-up we had with Turkey was probably the worst example in the recent past, and was to a large extent driven by just that sort of arrogant, insulting behavior (Newt Gingrich to the contrary), but ultimately this is nowhere near as important as what we're doing with France and Russia.

* Here's an early Putin-era assessment of what the group is all about by a reasonably unbiased source.

** Some views of what has happened since with GUUAM, after Uzbekistan's withdrawal.

*** "We must display the enlightened firmness of a parent dealing with an unruly child: Russia must never be allowed to throw a tantrum and have its way."