TODAY: Abkhazia struggling under Russian influence?; EU and US can’t agree on Russia; Piontkovsky article; Russia adds Nicaragua to its Latin American portfolio; blogger accused of ‘satanism’.

An opinion survey of ‘transatlantic trends‘ suggests that, whilst Europe and the US are equally concerned over Russia’s growing power, there is little agreement on how to deal with that power.  Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has suggested that Russia is ready to build a ‘common economic space‘ with the US and Europe, if all sides are on equal footing.  The EU has added its voice to criticism of Russian authorities’ raid of the offices of human rights group Memorial.  Read a translation of an article by Andrei Piontkovsky on his recently being acquitted of charges of extremism, in which he discusses Russia’s coming ‘thaw from below‘.  What is the ‘true weight‘ of Russia?  Hard to tell when it is constantly being over or underestimated, says this columnist.