Yesterday, Izvestia reported that a Russian air force official threatened to move nuclear-capable bombers to Cuba. “While they are deploying the missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic, our strategic bombers will already be landing in Cuba,” the anonymous source told the Russian newspaper. Another report indicates that Moscow is thinking of actually establishing a base on Cuba’s misnamed Freedom Island.

More bluff from the Kremlin? “It’s very silly psychological warfare,” says Alexander Golts, a military analyst quoted this morning in the Washington Post. Yes, and if it were the only ill-advised comment from Moscow, we could perhaps ignore it. Yet the unsourced threat is only the latest in a series from the Russians over missile defense. At some point, the United States needs to do something to stop them from making irresponsible comments before the situation gets out of hand.

Of course, President Bush does not have the time to take on the Kremlin, because that would be asking him to interrupt his ongoing efforts to appease the Chinese, talk to the Iranians, and supply the North Koreans with assistance. So, on the assumption that the White House needs assistance in responding to the increasingly adversarial Russians, I offer this draft statement to the President for his consideration:

It has come to my attention that the Russian government is thinking of basing nuclear-capable bombers in Cuba. It is now apparent that my indulgent policies toward Moscow are not working. Therefore, I have ordered Ambassador Beyrle and most of his staff to return to Washington and stay here until I receive official word, delivered in a public manner, that Russia has no intention of moving those planes to anywhere in the Western Hemisphere.

And I have a personal message to the Russian leader, whoever that person may be at this moment: I’m tired of having to listen to my State Department and may start basing my policies toward you on a more sensible basis.