President Dmitry Medvedev has expressed Russia’s interest in expanding its global naval presence, and hinted that plans are already in the works. ‘We need to do complicated political and diplomatic work … so that [our bases] are seen by [other countries] as a reinforcement of their own image, their own security.‘  Diplomatic work such as Vladimir Putin’s praise of Russia’s military base in Tajikistan as ‘a serious sign of mutual confidence‘, perhaps?  The Belarusian President has accused Russia of bankrolling its opposition. ‘We know it.  We have evidence.‘  Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s trip to Germany has seen unexpectedly spiky developments: Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters that Putin’s German newspaper article, in which he denounced a new EU energy package, contradicted his aim to create a free trade zone between Europe and Russia; she also criticized protectionist Russian trade measures (‘import duties are being repeatedly raised without warning‘) and the CIS customs union.  Meanwhile the threat that EU visas could be denied to 60 officials implicated in the death of Sergei Magnitsky could face ‘harsh retaliation‘ if it goes forward.  Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is reportedly hoping that the UN security Council will issue a statement condemning North Korea’s attack on Yeonpyeong Island.