Putin

 
Landfill sites in Russia are actually bigger than some countries, and authorities are calling for more recycling and tougher action against pollution. With more than 2,000 square km of rubbish and solid waste rotting across Russia, the total area is six times the size of Malta.
 

The European Commission has proven itself utterly powerless whenever it is confronted by the Kremlin. This is partly due to the nature of the behemoth in Brussels, and partly because Russia has little interest in making concessions to a polity that it sees as being only temporary.
 

The United States is absolutely right to reject Vladimir Putin's criticism of the proposed missile defence shield. Talk of "maintaining the balance" is misleading: Putin simply does not want his country to lose the one playable card it holds.
 

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is hoping to line up more than 30 contracts worth $5.5 billion, relating to communications, transport, and energy, during his trip to China this week.
 
Over the last 6 years, trade between the two countries has risen to over $50 billion per annum, and the Kremlin is keen to build on this as it struggles with an economic decline set to reach 7.5% this year - far worse than initially predicted.