Financial Crisis Sheds New Light on Russia
Martin Woollacott, The Guardian | October 8, 2008
The financial crisis stole the spotlight from the Russia-Georgian conflict, but it also sheds new light on the topic. ++ Reasonable attitudes are conquering politics because we are suddenly “all in the same boat.” ++ Russian weaknesses are now clearly evident. ++ If the world economy is growing slower, Russia's oil leverage is suddenly less weighty and its military modernization will be more difficult. ++ Moscow expected to lead a US-opposition bloc, but the reverse has happened. ++ The West needs to be as coherent as we want Russia to be.
