The 15 SEAS of Russia bignewsnetwork.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bignewsnetwork.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The symbol for the immense county of Russia, and, one that its President is often seen embracing, is the mighty brown bear. Like its animal counterpart, Russia has spent periods in international hibernation but even when it is seemingly out of view, its ferocity lingers, a reminder to all that if provoked, the bear will fight back.
The Kremlin claims to have cut ties with the West and turned east, but the facts say otherwise. Putin's Russia has renewed with its old 19th century imperial image, captured by the mid-century Crimean War when Russia was at odds with everyone in the Old World. As Moscow neglects its Eurasian expanses, Beijing is stepping in to fill the gap.