I am skeptical but a bit relieved by Russia's proposal that Syria surrendur its chemical weapons to the international community in an attempt to avert airstrikes by the Unitd States. But then again, it is clear that Putin isn't serious about holding Assad accountable for war crimes at the U.N.
Darn the 24-hour news cycle. The original caption, appearing in at least one publication, was "A Grizzly Bear has not been spotted this far south since 1962 - in Cuba," owing to the fact that yes, Russia had deployed warships to the Mediterranean Sea after the U.S. was preparing to launch strikes from that region. This followed a chilly G20 summit in which Putin pretty much tried to rally the world against Obama and had asserted his support of Assad.