“It seems likely that the damage to Russia’s productive capacity from the loss of western technology and key supplies will increase over time,” writes independent economist Roger Bootle.
“Moreover, the medium-term outlook for its supply capacity has been severely dented by the loss of so many soldiers in the Ukraine war – and more importantly, by the exodus of so many well-qualified young people who wished to escape both the Putin regime and the prospect of call-up.”
Bet there will be lots of countries wanting to pick up the pieces…
The safe bet is Russia becoming more and more subordinate to China.
This will be a very tough pill for Russia to swallow. Traditionally Russia was the country with the industrial capacity, know how and wealth of the 2. Now the roles are reversed on all counts.
Pick clean the carcass maybe. But I cannot imagine anyone interested in re-creating a strong Russia. The only worry will be who gets to keep what nukes. Cause there are bound to be so e entrepreneurial types that will see an opportunity to make a few dollar.
CIA would get involved. A few billion dollars probably buys a lot of loose nukes. Non-state actors couldn’t deploy them, anyway.
The nukes is the only thing they have left to bargain with, so russia split up or not, their nuclear arsenal (today and future) will have to go. They won’t be able to maintain them if they don’t give them up or they have be like bargaining with Iran and North Korea.
So a split up and a " reverse Minsk Agreement " seems fitting.
After the Ukraine war noone will ever give up their nukes. At least not all of em.
Yeah that’s a hard one but what to do otherwise?