[hinckley buzzard]

Russia's real concern is not the Baltic states or Poland, whom it can intimidate with the natural gas and oil weapons. It is the 'stans along its southern boundary, oil-and resource rich, with enough population to cause trouble as Russians let themselves die out. If Russia is to re-assert some measure of superpower status it will have to be with Central Asia under its thumb. Right now, we have military assets and even airbases along Russia's soft southern underbelly and that threatens Putin's vision more than anything else.

[NordP]

verrrrry inter-esting