Ukraine 3/31: The Russian Gov't Now Indistinguishable From The Mob

So now there's a report that Russia "threatened" some African and European countries before the UN Vote on Crimea to try to "sway" some votes their way. So some reporters over at the New York Times went hunting for a comment from the Russians. This is what they got

A spokesman for Russia's Mission to the U.N. denied that Moscow threatened any country with retaliation if it supported the resolution, saying: "We never threaten anyone. We just explain the situation."

I love it.

The robbing you of your wallet isn't threatening you with that gun. He's "explain[ing] the situation".

The bookie calling in your gambling debt isn't threatening to break your kneecaps. He's "explain[ing] the situation".

If only The Sopranos had lasted another few years.