Russian explorer Artur Chilingarov holds up a photo of his flag.
NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP/Getty Images
Russia's been throwing a bit of weight around lately, planting territorial flags on the bottom of the sea, sending a strong message to the Czech Republic that hosting an American missile defense shield there is a bad idea, and maybe even dropping a missile on neighbor Georgia. So, when President Vladimir Putin isn't fly-fishing topless with Prince Albert of Monaco, what's he thinking? Is Russia angling for a bigger role on the world stage?
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