ACTION

Lemme see if I got this right...

 NOTE: I am not the writer of this piece but found it thought provoking
 enough to pass it on.

 "Let me see if I got this right...
 Ukraine buys almost all its energy (natural gas)from Russia. Revenues
 from natural gas sales are a primary source of income for Russia.

Because of the recent disagreement between the two, Russia is
 raising the price of natural gas it sells to Ukraine. Ukraine is
 almost broke and can't afford the increase in the natural gas price because
it would be forced into bankruptcy. The U.S. announced
 that it will give Ukraine $1 billion to assist in paying for the
 higher priced natural gas it buys  from Russia. So in effect the U.S. is
actually giving Russia $1 billion because the money is just
 passing through Ukraine.

 Has Putin figured out a way to raise the price of his natural gas
 sales and make the U.S. pay for the increase? Was he really a KGB agent, or
was he a commodities trader?

 If this analysis is accurate, Putin just got the USA to pay him $1
 billion just by holding a press conference and trucking some troops across
town from the Russian Navy base in Ukraine.

 Who is the smartest guy in the room now?"