Oh, a nice article!
http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/01/30/the-meme-of-russian-aggression/

"While BBC news is prepared to speak of the million or so refugees from fighting in the Eastern provinces, there is no mention that those refugees have overwhelmingly fled to safety in Russia – a peculiar choice of destination if Russia is indeed the aggressor in the conflict.

Nor is there any mention that the massive humanitarian crisis in Eastern Ukraine that forced the refugees from their homes is overwhelmingly caused by the NATO / Kiev campaign of shelling and rocketing civilian areas of Donetsk and other cities. Or that local rebels’ fierce and ultimately victorious battle for the airport terminal was necessitated by its use as a base for Kiev’s heavy artillery to massacre the ordinary citizens of Donetsk.

Just as there was never any hint from the BBC that the Malaysian MH17 civilian aircraft downed over Eastern Ukraine could possibly have been shot down by any agency other than Russia’s. And now, as indications emerge that MH17 may in fact have been shot down by Ukrainian SU25s, the story has vanished from the news altogether."

Oh please you cannot buy that bs?!.. Russia is reverting back to their Soviet ways. State controlled media and Putin is a Dictator not a President.

I love Russian women! Although the country not so much! Sochi, Moscow, St Petersburg are kool vacations but would never want to live there.

Strangest thing that this is the truth... )))

The Surprising Resurgence of Russia as a Great Power
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-adelman/the-surprising-resurgence_b_8104486.html
Nice Article! )

the article has a big problem,the writer doesnt understand shit. russia is no real great power, thy just look bigger because the nato states are ruled by total shitheads, and or people who just dont care for what they do.

putin is an excelent chess player with not so many figures left, obama on the other hand has no fuckn clue what he is doing, but he knows that putin is a racist because the white figures started the game.

I love accents. They make life more interesting and enjoyable. Do all Russians talk like the Goose from Balto? I will be very happy if you say yes.

I worked with a Russian once in college who told me his father was on the run because he spoke out against Putin. We talked about it for like a year.

Can u translate this doc ?

Google translates this close enough...

On the foreign currency loans, secured claims under foreign currency loans

The Board of Directors of Bank of Russia December 23, 2014 decided to introduce a new instrument - foreign currency loans, secured claims under foreign currency loans. The decision is aimed at strengthening the capacity of credit institutions to manage their own foreign currency liquidity and to refinance foreign loans Russian companies-exporters in foreign currency maturing in the near future, with limited access to international capital markets. The introduction of these operations will also facilitate the return of the exchange rate to a fundamentally sound values ​​and a balance of supply and demand in the foreign exchange market at a lower exchange rate volatility.

etc.

If anything the biggest obstacle here is bureaucracy language official institutions use, took me a couple of readings to get the grasp of the meaning. Basically CB has thrown away western institutions from the loan trade, previosuly exporters have to obtain funds on western markets under higher yields, while for said mediators that was easy grab, buy more for less.

That was a good move.

 Anyway, congratz on Nord Stream II :D

btw I hope Russian forces will help Assad to destroy jihadist.