It turns out that the senior economic advisor who declared, at the newly opened climate talks in Milan, that Russia would not ratify Kyoto was, well, pulling an Alexander Haig. He has been disavowed, and was not speaking on behalf of the Russian government. They are still "open" to ratification. The world will continue to wait on pins and needles to see which way the Kremlin nods.

Here's the latest from the BBC.