By Alexander Mercouris – TheDuran By refusing to be provoked by the expulsion of Russian diplomats from the US, Vladimir Putin turns the tables on Barack Obama and provides political space to Donald Trump. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s grandly restrained response to the sanctions and expulsions US President Barack Obama announced yesterday was even by his standards both very surprising and extremely clever. The full statement published on his website shows why: We regard the recent unfriendly steps taken by the outgoing US administration as provocative and aimed at further weakening the Russia-US relationship. This runs contrary to the fundamental interests of both the Russian and American people. Considering the global security responsibilities of Russia … Continue reading Putin Outsmarts Lame Duck Obama – Barack Goes Low, He Goes High