Why are the Russians Silent?

In the days before the UN resolution authorizing the no fly zone in Libya, the Russian Foreign minister stated that if the USA pursued the no fly zone concept as regards Libya, the Russians would veto it in the Security Council.  Instead, the Russians merely abstained.  However, soon after the NATO aggression against Libya began, Putin stated that the attacks against Libya were barbaric and reminiscent of the Crusades.  However, the President of Russia disagreed and Putin shut up.  It is noteworthy that Secretary Gates visited Russia before the UN resolution.  It is frightening to think that the world may need to depend upon Russia and a veto in the UN Security Council for protection of the rights of sovereign States.  After all, it was the Russians who after WW II were the criminal aggressors against Poland, Czech, etc.  All during those terrible Cold War years the USA constantly invoked the concept of the Sovereign Nation State in order to counter the criminal occupation of the Eastern Block nations.  However, now the USA under Obama’s New World Order ideas, is the aggressor and maybe occupier of another sovereign nation!  Russia has murmured on the side lines since Putin was forced to shut up.  However, the future of the free world may depend upon a former communist dictatorship and not in the USA.  It seems like the Pres. and the Admin.  are willing to bomb and destroy the armed forces of another country all the while declaring that the bombs and cruise missiles and other brutal military weapons are the agents of peace and harmony protecting the so called civilians from bad bad Gaddafi.