Now that the global financial crisis has abated, this is a good time to take Russia’s pulse. We have just edited a book with 12 chapters written by Russians and Americans. The consensus from the authors was clear: Russia has weathered a perfect storm of oil price decrease, reversed capital flows and political isolation following the August 2008 war with Georgia. Russia’s short-term prospects appear neither dramatic nor problematic.
Yet Russia faces serious structural challenges in the long-run. The book’s authors unanimously concluded that the current system is no longer suitable for the challenges ahead and is facing a dead end. This includes the economy, politics, the rule of law, , the Commonwealth of Independent States, foreign relations in general, foreign economic relations and the armed forces.
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