washington hillary clinton attend first major white house meet russia february 2009 new secretary state insist want play lead role president barack obama effort reset u.s. relations moscow clinton become implementer-in-chief one obama signature first-term initiatives consistently skeptical top aid far russian leader vladimir putin prepare go turn page accord current former u.s. officials stance indicative would go deal moscow elect u.s. president nov. aid clinton obama tell reuters u.s. relations moscow already plumb post-cold war low aid veteran russia watchers say would likely take hard line obama republican nominee donald trump praise putin strong leader deal putin flex geopolitical muscle ukraine syria cyberspace among clinton big foreign policy challenge one make daunt personal bad blood jake sullivan former top state department aide senior clinton campaign advisor say clinton could consider ship lethal arm ukraine government force creation no-fly safe zone syria obama reject ideas move could stoke tensions might even face resistance u.s. ally sullivan say interview reuters clinton could manage tie russia effectively putin would respect u.s. president strength clarity predictability accord current former clinton advisers could consider policy move stiff sanction russia ukraine wean russia neighbor reliance moscow energy supply russia watch warily perceive many people kremlin prefer candidate say andrey kortunov director general russian international affairs council think tank close russian foreign ministry many believe would tough russia obama say clinton first fence-mending effort march 2009 much show strength diplomatic clumsiness hand foreign minister sergei lavrov red button suppose word reset instead label russian word mean overcharge clinton distrust putin deepen mirror grow list grievances time prepare leave state department early 2013 former officials say write least two confidential memos obama urge hard-nosed approach time many president inner circle convince reset run course say since clinton departure putin reassert russia world stage seize ukraine crimea region intervene militarily syria civil war u.s. officials link hack democratic party computers russian government kremlin deny like national security policies obama attempt reset u.s.-russian relations manage white house president along aid 2008 campaign include russia specialist michael mcfaul one pretend obama-driven policy say philip gordon clinton top europe adviser state department also go grumpily table tell president ... think logic mcfaul late become ambassador russia say interview first white house meet russia early 2009 clinton skeptical prospect transform u.s.-russian relations way us aspire back then two officials back account first fruit reset promise putin temporarily turn step president young reform-minded dmitry medvedev place obama medvedev sign new strategic nuclear arm control pact cooperate sanction iran nuclear program agree let u.s. troop equipment transit russia support american military surge afghanistan little two years reset run steam mid-2011 clear putin return presidency clinton first meet putin residence outside moscow march 2010. persuade back tough u.n. sanction iran accord two people knowledge session front tv cameras however putin rail u.s. trade economic policies clinton watch clinton putin exchange broadside nearly decade putin former kgb agent soul clinton quip eve 2008 new hampshire presidential primary riff president george w. bush comment seven years early look putin eye see soul russian leader retort minimum head state head u.s. official involve russia policymaking say clinton sometimes choose word poorly inflame russian resentment perceive post-cold war humiliation nationalist strain putin long use advantage play say official request anonymity serious rift clinton tenure occur late 2011 crowd fill streets russian cities protest parliamentary elections mar allegations vote fraud clinton statement approve white house call election neither free fair putin prepare retake presidency accuse try foment new russian revolution steady slide contact clinton russian leadership overall relations follow secretary clinton view russia always little harder-edged president obama say john beyrle obama first ambassador moscow partly reflect split responsibilities say obama cooperate medvedev clinton grapple lavrov putin russia watchers say clinton record mix reset right approach say thomas graham former russia adviser bush republican administration fault clinton obama team actively reach putin open line communication skeptical russia clinton see go toe-to-toe putin