>>>Russia’s $2.1 trillion (£1.3 trillion) economy has shrunk to $1.1 trillion, half the GDP of California.
That is smaller than Mexico. Some people have been convinced that Russia is a great economic power and therefore must be appeased. It is pretty funny to take these sentences now and replace Russia with Mexico.
What, you doubt this? ;’) Not only that, but Russia’s economic power has led to the tipping point for the US dollar! Yeah, it’s gonna be dumped as a reserve currency any minute now, then the Chinese will pull the plug on US debt, and we’ll be begging bread in the street. :’D
True.
But also consider it has more nuclear weapons than the rest of the word combined, has a falling birth rate, is rich in natural resources but bordered by a Chinese super power, lusts to get it's former republics back, and is paranoid - and the overall outlook is pretty grim for "peace in our time".