Learning the great art of Orientalism, the classical empires knew how to keep talking while keeping their distance.

The Lebanese Army is deployed in areas at a distance to the Blue Line and the Joint Security Forces and Gendarmerie units conduct some mobile patrols and maintain some check points in the area of operation.

But keeping Russia at arm s length from Europe has only strengthened the sense of isolation that many Russians feel, tempting them to define the country s interests in ways that are irreconcilable with those of Europe.

On 10 and 11 August, FARDC exchanged fire with a Mayi Mayi group near the Lunga gold mine, about 200 kilometres from Kalemie, and took control of the area.

But keeping Russia at arm s length from Europe has only strengthened the sense of isolation that many Russians feel, tempting them to define the country s interests in ways that are irreconcilable with those of Europe. It has also heightened Russia s desire to construct a special, bilateral Russo German relationship heedless of the context of the EU.