Predictable surprises

The news from Russia today were all predictable and familiar like deja vu - flexing the oil-muscle (this time for Ukraine) and scheming to eternalise Putin's power. BBC's correspondent says that Putin's announcement came as a shock. I think a twist like that was predictable. Putin announced that he might aim for the post of prime minister of Russia after his presidential term. Will Russia become a parliamentary "democracy" now? Time will show. At least there are no limits to the number of terms one can serve as a prime minister, and that is something with potential for eternity.

On the positive side - my respect towards Ukrainian election "circus" is growing. Messy as it is, it looks exactly like the first steps of a new democracy. As one of the Ukrainian politicians wisely said - no-one knows the outcome beforehand, and that what makes it a democracy after all.