Some background on the assassination of the Russian ambassador in Ankara
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2016/12/whats-turkey-doing-in-syria/511148/
Russia’s ruling party signed a “cooperation agreement” with the anti-immigrant Freedom Party of Austria, one of the clearest signs that the Kremlin is seeking to deepen ties with nationalist and antiestablishment forces in the West.
The chancellor talks a good game in trying to appeal to German voters wary of left-wing sympathy for Putin, says John Vinocur in The Wall Street Journal.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/merkels-campaign-takes-a-hard-line-on-russia-1482179218
http://newtimes.ru/stati/temyi/nesluchivshijsya-%C2%ABshatun%C2%BB.html
http://inosmi.ru/politic/20161219/238418361.html
Donald Trump is forcing Republicans to take sides on a Russian autocrat who is no friend of the United States.
http://cepa.org/analysis/do-grand-bargains-work
http://theins.ru/opinions/39407
http://www.ng.ru/politics/2016-12-09/1_6881_hodor.html
http://ru.krymr.com/a/28161765.html