...except trust...

and that is exactly what I think Putin is doing right now. Picking up on Muammar Gaddafi's plan: the re-creation of a gold-backed currency.

The US murdered Gaddafi because of it! (and Saddam Hussein in part for selling his oil in Euro's). But Putin will not let himself be slaughtered like Barack Obama's butchered off Muammar Gaddafi....

So the world may now expect a lot more US antagonisms and micro aggressions against Russia and CIA instigated disruptions within it. That's what the US always does when anyone stands in her way.

But those that have read Jared Diamond's book Guns, Germs, and Steel know that geopolitically a strong EU-Russia-China axis is logical and long due. The Times They Are A-Changin' indeed.