re: #616 Big Steve

Looking at last week’s world wide production numbers right now and Gazprom was still producing hard out of Libya. They may have appeared to abandon Kaddafi but they didn’t help or call for his ouster.

1. Russia didn’t block the UN resolution.

2. Medvedev condemned Kaddafi unequivocally, called him a political corpse etc.

3. Russian diplomats held talks with both sides, but with the express understanding (announced publicly) that Libya’s future is without Kaddafi.

4. The calls for Kaddafi to leave were loud and explicit, e.g. in May Medvedev once again called Kaddafi to go away. Just these days - yesterday or so - Konstantin Kosachev - who is an official mouthpiece - reiterated that Kaddafi is done for.

So the official Russian response to the Lybia situation has been uncharacteristically liberal and sane.