TODAY: Yukos “hatchet man” hired as presidential aide; Georgia accuses Russia of trying to block its Nato membership; EU-Russia pact to take more than a year to complete; Putin in France for 2-day visit; Winnie the Pooh/Medvedev comparison upsets Zhirinovsky. Anton Ustinov, the tax official who pressed claims against former oil company Yukos, has been hired as an aide by Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin. Vladislav Surkov, first deputy head of Dmitry Medvedev’s administration, has summoned leaders of the three largest pro-Kremlin youth movements to discuss future strategies. “Compared with the Ukrainians, Russians take themselves far too seriously.” Georgia has accused Russia of trying to provoke a war in Abkhazia in order to ruin the country’s chances of joining Nato.