Power

According to Politico, Li Keqiang's departure marks a shift away from the skilled technocrats who have helped steer the world's second-biggest economy in favor of officials known mainly for their unquestioned loyalty to Chinese President Xi Jinping. Li was seen as a potential top leader, but was increasingly sidelined as Xi accumulated more power. Li was known as a cautious, capable, and highly intelligent bureaucrat, but was not seen as a Xi loyalist. Li was a team player who put party unity first, but his authority was gradually shrunk as Xi shifted more of the powers of the State Council to party institutions.

The Orange Revolution was a series of protests in Ukraine that began in November 2004 and lasted until January 2005. The protests were sparked by the fraudulent presidential election of Viktor Yanukovych, a pro-Russian candidate. The protests were successful in overturning the election results and installing a pro-Western government. This was a humiliating ordeal for Putin, who had supported Yanukovych and had hoped to see Ukraine become a part of the Russian sphere of influence.