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[smjjames]

Except that Kazakistan is about as democratic as Russia under Putin, and has a government that is plenty Russian-friendly. Putin is more concentrated on the Caucasus region and Eastern Europe.

I think he's more concentrated to take control over as many trade routes in between China and EU as possible. "The one who controls the trade controls the world", yo. Ukraine seems more like a panic attempt to preserve the military status-quo in the region and makes little sense to me.

Crimea is also actually pretty strategic because it'd be a major Black Sea port, although Russia already has access to the Black Sea.

[Sergarr]

Crimea is also actually pretty strategic because it'd be a major Black Sea port, although Russia already has access to the Black Sea.

Russia is too poor to afford constructing new military-grade ports. Then again, the economic losses suffered by Russian economy and, by the virtue of budget cuts, by Russian military, probably outweigh those.

Like I've said, it was probably mostly due to panic. Someone hit the panic button, broke the glass, activated ALL the contingencies at the same time, stuff like that, because they saw a President of a country very similar to Russia - and Ukraine is very similar to Russia, that I can tell you - getting deposed in a swift and decisive manner, which probably triggered the hell out of them. And after it was done, it was too late for backsies.

E: So, apparently since Belarus has entered a visa-less agreement with 80-some other countries, the border between Russia and Belarus is going to be heavily fortified by FSB. I wonder if Belarus' KGB is going to do the same on its own end?

[Culise]

The most interesting theory I heard on the Crimea is actually neither the Crimean Russians or Sevastopol, as nice as the lease was, were the primary goal.  Crimea also provides vast territorial claims in the Black Sea, which has significant natural gas deposits.  In the hands of Ukraine, it's a source of economic competition.  In the hands of Russia, it's a potential addition to their existing vast supplies, as well as allowing for a potential direct of the Black Sea pipeline through Russian waters directly to Europe (though it seems that once the South Stream was cancelled, the Turkish Stream may remain the preferred route for political reasons if the Russo-Turkish thaw continues).  I'm not entirely certain I buy it, but it was a nice bonus to the main event (which, to me, seemed more like a convenient way to polish up Putin's already-high popularity domestically, though a panic-response does seem quite plausible as well). 

[Guardian G.I.]

E: So, apparently since Belarus has entered a visa-less agreement with 80-some other countries, the border between Russia and Belarus is going to be heavily fortified by FSB. I wonder if Belarus' KGB is going to do the same on its own end?

The Belarusian side already delimited their own "border zones" back in 2014.

Also, that visa-free thingamajig only applies to tourists arriving at certain places (Minsk International Airport and the Belarusian side of Belovezha Forest, IIRC) for 5 days. It's still enough to cause headaches for Russian officials.
According to Belarusian media, local authorities also consider adding the border city of Brest to that list.

[TempAcc]

Apparently a scud missile fired by yemeni rebels has hit a military base in saudi arabia last night. No death count yet

[martinuzz]

Russian opposition politician, and Putin-critisizer Vladimir Kara-Moerza is being kept in an artificial coma in a hospital in Moscow, after doctors diagnosed him with 'acute poisoning by an unknown substance'.
Two years ago, Kara-Moerza also ended up in critical condition in hospital, after being poisoned. He himself believed back then that he was poisoned because of his political activities.

Kara-Moerza is a fierce critic of Putin and his government. In the past weeks, he was touring Russia with a documentary about his former fellow critic, Boris Nemtsov, who was murdered next to the Kremlin two years ago.
He is also the vice-chairman of Open Russia, and organisation supporting resistance against the Putin regime, founded by former oil baron Michaïl Chodorkovski.

In his function as vice-chairman, he wrote a letter to US Senate last month, during the hearing of Rex Tillerson, who has now been made minister of Foreign Affairs.
"In Russia, there are bigger threats than libel and imprisonment, for people resisting the regime", he wrote.
He called upon the Senate to "include the dismantling of democratic institutions in Russia" in any new steps taken in regard to US - Russian relations.

[Sergarr]

He called upon the Senate to "include the dismantling of democratic institutions in Russia" in any new steps taken in regard to US - Russian relations.

Aaaaand there's the reason why he was poisoned.

[Loud Whispers]

Will Putin ever stop poisoning people who criticize him

[Loud Whispers]

Why? He's basically playing country wide RL Dwarf Fortress, and all you need do is visit the upper boards to work out how fun it is to poison everyone.

It's very difficult to poison things in DF intentionally

[muldrake]

Will Putin ever stop poisoning people who criticize him

Luckily for him he has a useful idiot in the White House.

[Loud Whispers]

What difference do useful idiots make if useless geniuses have failed to halt anything

[Egan_BW]

... If all it takes is for them to run through it, it's poisonous, not venomous.

[Loud Whispers]

Yeah Egan is right, also Putin isn't allowed to order his opposition to walk into poison, but he is fond of ordering his men to deliberately poison his foes in a very undorfy manner

[Starver]

Putin 'poisons' his opponents chances another way...  Maybe.

[Sergarr]

Putin 'poisons' his opponents chances another way...  Maybe.

Eh, he wouldn't be able to succeed regardless of this. He's too close to the PARNAS and other similar "radical liberal" organizations, and the animosity towards these among Russians is nigh-reflexive at this point.