Also... it's worth considering that Russia is really fucked. It's the biggest country in the world, with enormous natural resources and a powerful military (although not as strong as it makes out). However... the economy is smaller than Texas - it's approximately the same size as Spain.
Putin is getting away with it at the moment, but this kind of despotism never lasts. The Russian people will just get sick of being poor and overthrow him (or more likely, his successor).
Putin is getting away with it at the moment, but this kind of despotism never lasts. The Russian people will just get sick of being poor and overthrow him (or more likely, his successor).