Hollande’s state visit to the United States, only the fourth state visit from any foreign leader since Obama took office, holds much in the way of symbolism.
The recent bombings in Volgograd, Dagestan, and Pyatigorsk - the last less than 350 miles east of Sochi - have come as a shock, but not as a surprise, to the Russian public.
Germany’s Russia policy remains above all guided by economics and energy, and the substantial Russia lobby in the German business community is unlikely to be moved by events in Ukraine.
