Ulenspiegel, as far as I understand for Russian elite this is not problem paying more. They just have to increase their income to pay more to afford geopolitical Faberge eggs.

Last time EU tried to solve military conflict 2008. French president Sarkozy signed with Russians peace plan. To remember the details

http://www.jamestown.org/single/?tx_...1#.U8Juq2IaySM

In less than two months later French foreign minister signalled to Russia to continue business as usual.

http://www.jamestown.org/single/?tx_...1#.U8JvyGIaySM

From this Jamestown article we can jump directly to that fresh column.

http://carnegieeurope.eu/strategiceurope/?fa=56021

After Carnegie story you should read this one.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/pirel...ard-1405072159

It is very suitable to end this post with quotin Lenin "'The capitalists will sell us the rope with which to hang them".

Ps I hope that somebody put words to Lenin mouth and reality is different.

Here is what Mr. Annenkov claims he copied from notes in Lenin's handwriting, italics in the original: ''To speak the truth is a petit-bourgeois habit. To lie, on the contrary, is often justified by the lie's aim. The whole world's capitalists and their governments, as they pant to win the Soviet market, will close their eyes to the above-mentioned reality and will thus transform themselves into men who are deaf, dumb and blind. They will give us credits . . . they will toil to prepare their own suicide.''
http://www.nytimes.com/1987/04/12/ma...-language.html