Even if Russian President Vladimir Putin did not arrive yet in Bucharest, he seems to have stolen the whole show: American President Bush, his Romanian counterpart Basescu, NATO Secretary General Scheffer and foreign affairs experts - they have all referred to Vladimir Putin and sent him important messages.

Russia seems to be on everybody's mind and concern, as controverses stirr up tensions on Georgia and Ukraine, as nobody knows what to expect. Even if Putin's presence has been finally confirmed by Russian officials, after months of speculations, nobody knows when he will arrive.

After an official meeting of American President Bush and his Romanian counterpart Basescu, both announced in a press conference that the cold war si over and that America is open to talks with Russians. Bush underlined that the American missile shield in Europe, which Russia opposes, does not target Russia.

The main reasons for Putin's visit and his impact upon NATO decisions are, naturally, not known. Russian experts argue that Putin will have a relaxed attitude and will be open to talks. However, former Wall Street journalist Friedrich Kempe argues that Putin will break the party and negatively affect the Summit.

Russian Ambassador Dmitri Rogozin accused NATO organizers for forbidding Vladimir Putin to hold his speech in front of the press. Within the Russia-NATO Council, Putin will address its members with closed doors.