Bloomberg: “Ukraine Accuses Russia as Protests Seize Offices in East.” 4/7/2014.

Bloomberg: “Putin Stirs Azeri Angst That Russia Is Set to Extend Sway.”  4/6/2014.

International Business Times: “Pro-Russian Protesters Clash With Police and Seize Buildings in  Eastern Ukraine.”  4/6/2014.

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President Vladimir Putin, condemned by NATO for annexing Crimea, is now defying the U.S. in Syria by sending more and deadlier arms to help Bashar al-Assad score a string of advances against insurgents, military experts say.

Bloomberg.  “Putin Defies Obama in Syria as Arms Fuel Assad Resurgence.”  4/3/2014.

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In the middle east, I have for a while characterized the western opposition as “Putin-Assad-Khamenei”; for eastern Europe, I now may blurt “Putin-Napoleon” (in lieu of “Putin-Yanukovych”), for the “vertical of power” appears to be spreading horizontally and quickly using predictably feudal (one almost hears, “Deploy the thugs”) methods.

Putin behind the curtain in Syria has reportedly improved the qualities of arms reaching the Assad regime with the intention of discouraging continued resistance in a convincing way.  In Ukraine, The Bear has squatted on Crimea and made camp sufficient to throw around some weight:

A new, leaner and meaner Russian Army has been on display in Crimea and war-gaming on the Ukrainian border over the past month or so. Its vanguard is now made up of just a few elite divisions of highly-motivated, well trained, and fully equipped volunteer soldiers, capable of deploying swiftly anywhere in the former Soviet Union on the Kremlin’s command.

Christian Science Monitor.  “Russia debuts new, sleek force in Crimea, rattling NATO.”  4/3/2014.

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