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So what's really going on in Russia these days? A further slide in the value of the rouble, rising inflation and talk of a three-and-a-half-percent drop in the GDP - well it will all be bitter news in Moscow, which is of course already struggling in the face of Western sanctions enforced following alleged Russian involvement in the Ukraine conflict. The recent even deeper slide in the price of oil is of course a big part of the problem. President Putin's replaced two of his longest serving senior officials in a recent reshuffle. Nick Butler is a visiting professor at Kings College in London. A few moments ago I asked him how bad the situation had become in Russia.
I think now it's really getting pretty serious. The Russians have relied for many years indeed since President Putin came into power on a strong indeed rising oil and gas price and a secure market share. Now we see oil price is falling not just to 70 or 80, but I think this week they're gonna touch 40. And we're also seeing in Europe Russia losing its market share in the gas market. If you part the two together, you start to undermine the real source of revenue that goes into the Russian state. | 
发表于 2016-8-30 17:26:42