re: Update pg 23: Russia,IMO, will default on its sovereign debt within six months

quote:

---

What's Putin's next move? How does he shore up his crumbling economy?

---

He revealed his strategy earlier today (Moscow time) in a three-hour speech/press conference. (link is below)

His strategy is, as it always has been for Russia for several centuries whenever something bad happens to their country, is to blame everything on the foreigners. In this case, it's all Europe's and the United States' fault because they (we) don't want Russia to have its rightful place as a super power.

LINK

Here is a short excerpt:

quote:

---

In keeping with the themes of his presidency, Mr. Putin blamed the West for many of the problems, saying it has historically conspired to to tear down Russia every time it seems to gain strength.

On this occasion, he found a new, vivid image, saying that the West was trying to restrain the Russian bear by using NATO to come up to the very borders of Russia. The West wants the bear to sit around eating honey and berries, not chasing around the forest after piglets, Mr. Putin said, suggesting that its adversaries wanted to turn it into a stuffed animal.

“They won’t leave it alone, because they will always seek to chain it,” he said. “Once they manage to chain it, they will rip out the teeth and claws.”

The teeth and claws in this case are nuclear deterrence, he said.

---

I personally believe his next diversion will be to start some trouble either in the Baltics or in the Balkans.