Rapid changes in the financial markets and the Russian economy are forcing Vladimir Putin to change his calculus. Now the Russian president has a choice between doubling down on his aggressive foreign policy or concentrate on putting Russia in order. This week’s plunge in the value of the ruble adds another layer of uncertainty to the ongoing faceoff between Russia and the West. The currency crisis, precipitated by US and EU sanctions against Moscow and a global decline in oil prices, threatens to crater the country’s lucrative state-owned enterprises and send the economy into a nosedive. The question is how …read more
Source: Business Insider
