Russian President Dmitri Medvedev blasted his Ukrainian counterpart, Viktor Yushchenko, on Tuesday, blaming him for creating the worst strain in Russo-Ukrainian relations since the fall of the Soviet Union. In a video message posted to his widely read blog and distributed by the Kremlin, Medvedev emphasized just how bad relations have become.

That relations between Moscow and Kiev are frayed is not news to anyone. The disconnect started with the 2004 Orange Revolution, which brought Yushchenko to power, and has continued with his government's efforts to join Western alliances like NATO and support for other former Soviet states that hoped to break with Moscow. Ukraine also has attempted to expel symbols of Russian influence, such as its Black Sea Fleet, from the country. The...