What Brexit means for Russian economic and territorial expansion

It Means Those 3 Stories in 1 Newsletter

1. By now it's old news that Britain has voted to leave the European Union – but what does that mean for Russia? Some pundits say Brexit will be great for finance-savvy Russians in the UK and Europe; to others, it’s the personal failure of United States president Barack Obama. Just how much it'll weaken the EU and set the scene for a new role for Russia in Europe remains to be seen

2. Sorting out territorial claims is child's play. Literally: a school in the South Ural Mountains put on a play featuring a kid in a Putin mask claiming that Alaska would soon again be Russian territory. That puts it next in line after Crimea, but beating out the Kuril Islands, currently disputed territory between Russia and Japan. The theatrical explanation: “We take only our own lands.” To cede or not to cede, that is the question.

3. It’s a bridge! It’s a rocket! It’s Mother Russia herself! Nope: it's the latest image to grace Russian banknotes. That may sound anticlimactic, but Russia’s Central Bank has launched a contest for citizens to submit design ideas for the new 200 and 2000 ruble notes. The actual prints may not show up for a few years yet, but it only takes a dream to boost the economy, right?

RosKultLit
​Russian Cultural Literacy

The Russian ruble's had a rocky road. And that’s not a jibe at the economy – that’s the norm when you go through a few dozen currency designs in a century. Whether the imperial coat of arms, a locomotive, an Olympic snowboarder, or a monument from any number of Russian towns and cities, there’s an art to creating currency – and to keeping it afloat. Okay, that one was a jibe at the economy.

Quote of the Week

"Rural, provincial, working Britain said ‘no’ to the union created by the financial mafia, globalists, and the rest of them."

—Russian ultranationalist politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky on the “great feat” accomplished by British folks who voted for Britain’s exit from the European Union.

In Odder News

• Your puppy pals may be in danger: food shortages and price hikes have seen a rise in – brace yourself – eating dogs. At least all dogs go to heaven.
• Russia invents the Google Tax: a new law requiring foreign companies to pay tax on apps, games, and other online content.
• What everyone's been waiting for: why go to the beach to sunbathe when you can just hang your backside out the window?

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