Bringing in a successor when a popular social policy is in place would be considerably easier.

Until the local players, who were taken aback, sharpen their daggers and collect cash, the Kremlin has some time to maneuver and to install the man it wants.

It will help us avoid all the complications with those countries and deal directly with the Germans.

If the Kremlin does not jump of top of this trend, someone else will.

If Ukraine does not sign the contract for gas supplies in the hours remaining until the New Year, Russian natural gas supplies for Ukrainian consumers will be stopped at 10 a.m. Moscow time [7a.m. GMT]. The actions will be clear and decisive.

If in the remaining hours, Ukraine does not sign a contract for gas, then at 10 a.m. Moscow time (0700 GMT) on January 1 the Russian Federation will completely sever supplies to the Ukrainian customer.