Russia’s foreign policy has always been closely tied to the price of its primary export—energy. With oil prices hitting record lows, can the country afford Vladimir Putin’s foreign adventures?
Eurasia Center Director John Herbst joined Debra Cagan, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense, to write an op-ed arguing that plunging oil prices will constrain Russia’s aggressive policies towards its neighbors.
Putin, of course, is no democrat; he can choose to ignore public opinion. But with oil prices at inconceivable lows, the Kremlin will have to make serious decisions on where to invest what will be increasingly limited resources.
spotlight
The Kremlin and coronavirus
Despite recording some of the first cases outside of China in early 2020, Russia reported unusually low incidents of coronavirus while those in other regions climbed rapidly. However, in recent days the number of cases in the country has grown rapidly, leading to questions of honesty about initial government reports as well as how equipped Russia’s government and health systems are prepared to deal with a major outbreak. This is in addition to the Kremlin’s exploitation of the virus to spread disinformation, burnish its image abroad, and enlarge political control at home.
More about our expert
The Eurasia Center’s mission is to enhance transatlantic cooperation in promoting policies that strengthen stability, democratic values, and prosperity in Eurasia, from Eastern Europe in the West to the Caucasus, Russia, and Central Asia in the East.