Earlier today, as has become a symbolic custom, Tsipras spoke to Russia's Putin by phone. Aside for the referendum, the topic of their conversation was unknown, but both sides rushed to note that financial aid was not among the topics of discussion, which assures it was. However, with the Greek negotiations still ongoing even if, as Germany has claimed, all bridges have been burned, there is no point for the Kremlin to step in at this moment and disclose itself as a Lender of Last Resort. It still has a few days.

However, while Russia patiently awaits for the right moment to step up, either alone or together with China, its media has no intention to wait when it comes to gloating at Europe's misfortune.

And gloat it has this morning, mostly at the chancellor of a continent that over the past year has gone out of its way to portray Russia as the devil incarnate and launched countless sanctions (that backfired and would have led Germany to a triple-dip recession if not for the ECB's Q€), as shown best by the following headline image on Russia's Sputnik News, which pretty much sums up the new European reality in six words, and one half of Merkel's face.