Leaked: Obama aide ready for diplomatic war of attrition with Russia

`` The change [in Russia's behavior in the last decade is] attributed to the personality of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who, Washington expects, will remain in power until at least 2024.Washington's solution to the new Russia is keeping sanctions pressure on it while luring its neighbors away with economic aid and investment, La Stampa said. The current round of sanctions, it reports, was designed not to have too much impact on the Russian economy so that a threat of harsher sanctions could be applied.''