Vladimir Putin’s land grab in Ukraine hasn’t been simply about
uniting ethnic Russians; just as with the 2008 Georgia invasion, it has
also been about the economy. Too many Western diplomats and
policymakers—especially those who do not regularly follow Russia—are
behind the curve with regard to Russian perceptions of Putin. True,
Putin won plaudits for picking Russia up by its bootstraps in the wake
of Boris Yeltsin’s terms, but much of his economic success was less than
met the eye and due more to the steep rise in oil prices. As oil has
leveled off, the Russian economy has stagnated.
The European Foundation for Democracy’s Anna Borshchevskaya (full disclosure: my wife) had a great piece
a few years ago looking at Russia’s economic vulnerability against the
backdrop of the Arab Spring. In short, Russia’s economy is stagnant.
Rather than fix the problems and address the corruption from which he
personally benefits, Putin has discovered that it is easier to whip the
flames of nationalist fervor. But every time he makes a land
grab–Abkhazia and South Ossetia in 2008 and Crimea and perhaps soon
eastern Ukraine in 2014–he must subsidize the new territory, creating an
even greater drain on Russian resources, all the more so since he also
subsidizes client states like Belarus to keep them in line.
Therefore, with every territory he
grabs, the speed with which the Russian economy unravels increases,
forcing the need for even more land grabs to stay ahead of the issue.
It’s analogous to a cocaine addict who must constantly up his dose to
get the same high.
(Click link below to read more)
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About Me

- Judy Chaffee
- This site is the inspiration of a former reporter/photographer for one of New England's largest daily newspapers and for various magazines. The intent is to direct readers to interesting political articles, and we urge you to visit the source sites. Any comments may be noted on site or directed to KarisChaf at gmail.
Sunday, March 23, 2014
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