[hchutch]

Perhaps, but I think that the explanation for the contraband will come down to at least one, if not all, of these scenarios:

1. Russian mafia.
2. "Straw pruchases" by third countries (the Ukraine and Syria are likely bets, but I would not discount the French, either).
3. Bureaucrats who got a piece of the action and approved sales that shouldn't have been approved.

For me, the key is not what the Russians SAY or even DO in the UN. Instead, they key is what they do outside the UN.

[colorado tanker]

the key is what they do outside the UN

Agreed. And what they appear to be doing is trading weapons for cheap oil.