Russia boots out USAID...... Is this a Big Deal?

(CNN) -- Russia has thrown out the United States
Agency for International Development, the U.S. State Department said,
claiming that the aid agency has undermined Russia's sovereignty.

"We have recently
received a decision of the Russian Government to end USAID activities
there," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said this week.
"The United States is extremely proud of what USAID has accomplished in
Russia over the last 20 years, and we will work with our partners and
staff to responsibly end or transition those programs."

At APEC Russia and the U.S. look east

Senior Russian officials
have said that some of the agency's programs, such as some human rights
groups and election monitoring, have undermined Russia's sovereignty,
according to the state news agency RIA Novosti.