Obama is the Americans’ best hope in foreign affairs

Twenty years ago last week, three courageous Soviet republic presidents, led by Russia’s Boris Yeltsin, met near Minsk to plot the destruction of their country. Less than three weeks later, on Christmas Day 1991, their decision forced the end of a once great and powerful empire that splintered into 15 new states as the Communist hammer and sickle was lowered from the Kremlin.