Vitaly Portnikov The intermediate decision of the Stockholm arbitration, which exempted Ukraine from payments under several bonded articles of the gas contract, agreed by Vladimir Putin and Yulia Tymoshenko, is not just the victory of one side over the other, one state over the other. This is the beginning of civilized communication, recognizing the primacy of international law - unless, of course, Russia, who repeatedly violated it, will want to recognize it.