Putin doesnt understand what hit him.
He’s a military/statist guy and the impact of market changes are lost on him.
He should have seen it coming. He squandered all his oil cash on military crap that he has to start a war to use. It should have been re-invested in industrial modernization and diversification.
The Ukrainian investment in Yanukovych went south on him - the Ukrainian populace didnt want to be roped into buying crap Russian goods which is what his Eurasian trade space is all about.
So now he’s screwed with his one big trick - payola from oil revenue.
Wonder how the people in Crimea who voted for supposedly higher salaries in Russia feel now.
The events certainly stirred larger Ukraine into intense prayer.
Maybe this is God’s way of pulling the rug out from under Vlad.
I’m also not sure he ever expected oil to take this kind of nose dive. Even market economy says that makes no sense. It’s petropolitics. Saudi Arabia decided to drown its troubles (a menacing Iran under control of a rival Islamic sect) in cheap oil, which still only costs them a few bucks per barrel to pump. Surviving was a bigger priority to it than an obscenely wealthy future.
~Wonder how the people in Crimea who voted for supposedly higher salaries in Russia feel now.~
They are last to worry for sure. Russia has long way to fall to match best days in Ukraine.
“Putin doesnt understand what hit him.”
Apparently he hasn’t figured out that Crimea and Ukraine are money pits. Crimea is just a resort lacking infrastructure. It would be like annexing Detroit. Hey, That’s an idea!
He should have seen it coming. He squandered all his oil cash on military crap that he has to start a war to use. It should have been re-invested in industrial modernization and diversification.
A vibrant economy never grew under Putin because of his kleptocracy smothered it. No need to innovate in Russia, just pay a bribe to grow your company. There will be no Russian Google type success stories. Sad really. A country with that many smart people and natural resources should do better. But Russian chauvinism always bites them in ass in the end.
So where’s the money coming from for Putin to build his own space station?
Russians are chess players.
You think he hasn’t PLANNED all of this? The Soviets already tried taking Saudi Arabia once. They will succeed this time, and this time the US President could give a fig what happens down there.
There’s a reason he invaded Georgia first. How else are you going to move things from Russia into Iran?
We’re out of Iraq - and that was timed beautifully too. We’re out in time for Russia to be sure that when Iran moves tanks and troops down into Saudi Arabia, he won’t have to deal with Iraq. They will pass through Basra on the way to Riyadh. From Riyadh, they will move on to Mecca, regroup, resupply, and head north to Medina, and perhaps into Jordan.