Russia and Banana Republics

The news today is that the UK expelled a bunch of Russian diplomats to protest the Russians not extradicting a Soviet Russian spy who probably dropped the polonium sugar cubes in former-Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko's tea. (I once stayed in the London Millenium Hotel. And if there were ever a hotel where you'd expect someone to poison a former Russian spy, that would be it. Also, the breakfast bangers are way overpriced...)

Anyway, Bloomberg had the news, plus this interesting quote from Konstantin Kosachyov, the head of the Russian lower house of parliament:

You can act this way toward a banana republic, but Russia is not a banana
republic.

Two things. Apparently, Russians are generally fine with kicking around banana republics. Not so much news there, but interesting to actually see someone say it. Second, Russians are really really worried that they are getting treated like a banana republic. (Can you imagine the United States or China saying, "You can't treat us like we're a banana republic!")