...Second and fourth President and sixth of the Russian Federation and the first to remain sober. Putin is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from polonium poisoning. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to Putin. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead...said on Wednesday that Russia, facing the threat of new sanctions over the Ukraine crisis, wanted to avoid international isolation but would strongly defend its national interests.
"We will never pursue isolationism. We will always be part of the international community," Putin said during a meeting with representatives of the Civic Chamber, a consultative body which monitors the work of the government and parliament.
"You and I must properly define national interests. We have learnt how to do that," he said. "We will do this persistently but correctly, carefully and ... strongly."
The United States and the European Union
...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing...
have imposed visa bans and asset freezes on some Russian companies and individuals since Russia annexed the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine in April after the overthrow of a Moscow-leaning Ukrainian president.
Washington and Brussels have held out the possibility of more sanctions if pro-Russian separatist fighters do not wind down the conflict in eastern Ukraine.