What we are seeing is the U.S. trying to resolve a bilateral problem with Russia by offering it APEC membership.

CNN: The End of APEC?

Mr Salmond, who has met with former US Secretary of State Colin Powell during his visit, said he did not believe his party's stance on nuclear weapons would be a problem when it came to Scotland's membership of the military alliance, and pointed out that 25 of the 28 members of Nato were non-nuclear.

BBC: Scotland politics

Nine years later, the Cyprus problem is still there, and any other supposed benefits of euro-zone membership are hard to spot.

WSJ: Raymond Zhong: Reflections on the Revolution in Cyprus

The Club becomes a problem because smart people are required to interact with those of us who do not qualify for membership.

FORBES: Leaders Pay a Price for Acting Too Smart

In addition to the problem of switching costs, another problem for someone who wants to join a credit union is that they might not be eligible for membership.

FORBES: Connect

The second main problem the leaders will confront at Vancouver, and it's more urgent than the first, is membership.

CNN: The End of APEC?

Membership of the euro means they don't have the option of allowing their currency to depreciate to readdress that problem.

BBC: Eurozone: A very overcast outlook