Post-pandemic Russia. By Irina Borogan, Andrei Soldatov

By Dilip -
Vladimir Putin’s anger and jealousy has taken down many proactive leaders throughout Russia – and left the country vulnerable to crisis. The oil price war against Saudi Arabia backfired, and a recession was already in motion when coronavirus hit the country.

Back when 2020 began, everything looked great for the Kremlin as it decided to freeze Russia for the next twenty or more years under Putin’s rule. The two chambers of Russia’s parliament speedily approved the amendments and pro-Kremlin media, as usual, provided favourable coverage celebrating the forthcoming change. The Russian people showed no visible dissent to Putin’s desire to stay in power after 2024.


But some of Putin’s friends were irritated by falling oil prices. These friends were in charge of the biggest Russian oil company, and they had the ear of the president. As a result, the Kremlin got into a price war with Saudi Arabia, refusing to reduce oil production. To teach the Russians a lesson, the Saudis dropped oil prices dramatically, and the Kremlin’s gamble misfired. Then the coronavirus crisis hit the world, decreasing demand for oil and gas, which were always a significant source of income for the Russian budget.... 
https://www.eurozine.com/post-pandemic-russia/

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