President Vladimir Putin's meeting with U.S. counterpart George W. Bush in St. Petersburg has the potential to build a far-reaching framework for the future.

Both presidents have shown an ability to rise to the occasion, dismissing the advice of aides who are more concerned with maintaining the status quo of frozen relations between the two countries than envisioning a different future.

That the two countries can be allies in more than just the war against terror is looking like a possible result of the personal relationship between these two men, who have often shed dogma and shown leadership and courage.

Their mediocre past and Cold War upbringing is suddenly no detriment to friendly relations. They both deserve to be complimented for that.

Both presidents are aware that the people of the modern world are facing an unprecedented level of threat, of violent, unexpected death at the hands of a highly committed, well-connected and thoroughly ruthless cadre of violent extremists.

And, in keeping with the increasing global interconnectedness that characterizes the contemporary era, it is a danger that menaces nations worldwide.

It can only be thwarted by a countermovement that is equally global.

The idea that there is a close convergence of interests between Russia and its former Cold War antagonist is not as strange-sounding today as it would have been just a year and a half ago.

The events of Sept. 11 in the United States caused that country to look abroad for friends in unanticipated places, and Russia proved to be a friend in a time of need.

In the diplomatic world that gesture may not mean much, but with the leadership styles displayed by both Putin and Bush, it has a significant impact on relations between the two countries.

Despite the fact that Bush's foreign-policy team (not really Bush himself, who at that point knew little or nothing about international relations) had earlier been trumpeting a tough-on-Russia, go-it-alone and "does Russia matter?" approach, they were suddenly forced to limit their unilateralist rhetoric.

Russia, for geographical, historical and military reasons (for example, the country's ties to the Northern Alliance), was a country which was absolutely necessary for the United States to have on its side after the Sept. 11 events and in the future, for reasons that have become obvious.

Events since that tragic date have reinforced this political realignment. With Osama bin Laden citing the "Nord-Ost" hostage-taking as part of his global jihad, Movsar Barayev spouting off about "suicide squads" and "loving death more than life," and groups of Chechen fighters showing up in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, it has become virtually impossible to deny links between international Islamic terrorism and Chechen extremism – though the extent to which those ties are going beyond the mercenary is open to debate. Russia faces the threat of global terrorism as much as the United States or Israel.

Globalization – which Western ideologues like Francis Fukuyama always seemed to think would have just one face – has shown one of its darker sides: The internationalization of terror, in which perpetrators see the entire world as outside of their own set of divine beliefs.

They do not differentiate between Israel, the United States, Russia, Australia or even the secular governments of some Muslim countries. They see them all as facets of a single demonic entity that must be wiped out.

Russia must recognize that regimes such as Iraq, Iran and North Korea have the potential to arm these maniacs with weapons of mass destruction and must support U.S. initiatives in curbing them.

The United States, on the other hand, must learn from its past mistakes of arming countries such as Pakistan and regimes such as the Taliban to meet short-term tactical goals, and form a firm alliance with Russia and other willing partners to ensure this war is won by the civilized world.

The days of American unilateralism – which were always more smoke and mirrors than reality – are over. And thanks to Colin Powell – and George Bush's confidence in him – the United States is trying to build alliances rather than trample on the self-respect of friendly nations.

This is what must be at the heart of the Putin-Bush summit. Time is too precious to be wasted on the previous century's leftover issues.

A new relationship in the new century can be forged by the leaders of a new generation.

There is now a sense of urgency as an executioner's ax of terrorism hangs over the head of each and every one of us.

President Bush will be welcomed in this country as a friend, and he will be remembered in history for rising to the occasion and extending a hand of friendship to Russia.