Afghanistan is a live threat to Russia

Afghanistan is a live threat to Russia. Victor Ivanov, the head of Russia's anti-narcotics service, recently warned that a massive influx of heroin from Afghanistan is "a key negative factor for demography and a blow to our nation's gene pool." With Russia facing a sharp drop in its population because of alcoholism and an abysmal health-care system, the heroin explosion is only worsening the downward spiral. An estimated 2.5 million Russians are now addicts, according to the Ministry of Health.

Victor Ivanov (wikipedia):

Viktor Petrovich Ivanov (Russian: Виктор Петрович Иванов, born May 12, 1950, Novgorod, Soviet Union) is a Russian politician and businessman, former KGB officer, who served in the KGB Directorate of Leningrad and its successors in 1977–1994.
In 1987–1988 as a KGB officer he took part in the Soviet war in Afghanistan.
In December 1990 together with Boris Gryzlov and Valentin Chuykin he founded the small-scale enterprise Blok engaged in various businesses and became its director.
In October 1994 he resigned from FSK and was appointed Chief of the Administrative Staff of the Saint Petersburg Mayor Office. In 1999 he succeeded Nikolai Patrushev as the Head of the Internal Security Department of Russia's FSB. Since January 5, 2000, he has been a Deputy Head of the Presidential Staff for personnel appointed by Vladimir Putin. Viktor Ivanov is considered one of Putin's closest allies.
In September 2001 Russia's Prime Minister appointed Ivanov representative of the state in the Boards of Directors of the Antei Corporation and Almaz Scientific Industrial Corporation, developing and producing air defence systems, including S-300. On November 22, 2001, he was elected Chairman of the Board of Directors of Almaz and initiated the merger of Almaz and Antei. Since June 2002 Ivanov has been the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the result of the merger, OJSC Almaz-Antei Air Defense Concern.
Since November 4, 2004, he has also been the Chairman of the Board of Directors of JSC Aeroflot airline.
Viktor Ivanov has a daughter, who is married to Oleg Safonov.

Russia's economy will shrink by 4,5%

Russia's economy will shrink by 4.5% this year because of the global downturn, the World Bank has predicted.
The Bank said Russia, a major oil producer, would be particularly hard hit by the low price of oil.
It said the Kremlin should shift the focus of its anti-crisis programme to the poor because of "the threat of significant social pressure".
The Bank added that aid to Russia's poor might have the added benefit of stimulating domestic demand.
Unrest feared
The World Bank says that the social situation in Russia has worsened so rapidly and so unexpectedly that it is important to shift the focus of the anti-crisis policy to the population.
It says that the Russian government should increase payments to the unemployed and to pensioners.
Since the global economic downturn began to affect Russia, the authorities here have been worried by the prospect of social unrest - especially in towns where single enterprises are the engine of the entire local economy.
The government insists that it has the funds to meet social spending requirements, but the World Bank's prediction is likely to cause further concern.
While the Bank expects the Russian economy to shrink by 4.5% this year, the Russian government predicts a 2.2% contraction.

Russia versus NATO

Days after Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced his country's intentions to revamp its armed forces, the top U.S. commander in Europe is warning of a new period of "uncertainty" in U.S.-Russian relations.
In Senate testimony today, Gen. Bantz Craddock, the head of U.S. European Command, was blunt. "The relationship with Russia," he said, "is likely to be more difficult to manage in coming years than any time since the end of the Cold War."
Relations between the Kremlin and Washington hit a rough patch after the August 2008 South Ossetia war, and Craddock's statement comes as European Command reevaluates plans to downsize the U.S. force presence in Europe. Two Army brigades are scheduled to return to the United States from Europe in 2012 and 2013, but Craddock is now recommending they remain stationed in Europe. Without specifically mentioning Russia, the general said in testimony that "these forces contribute directly to our dissuasion and deterrence efforts."
The Obama admistration has tried -- with limited success -- to push the "reset" button with Russia, and it wants the Kremlin's help in dealing with Iran's nuclear ambitions and preserving supply routes to Afghanistan. President Barack Obama is scheduled to meet next week with his counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev; Russian experts are already telling us to curb our expectations.

Russia is strengthening its military

MOSCOW – The diplomatic tone between Russia and the US may have sweetened since Barack Obama took office, but Russian leaders are adopting a tougher line than ever when addressing their domestic audience.
Speaking to a room of Russian Army brass on Tuesday, President Dmitry Medvedev pledged massive hikes in military spending and stepped-up procurement of nuclear missiles, tanks, fighter planes, and a new generation of deep-water warships, including aircraft carriers.
Despite a galloping economic crisis, “significant funds have been earmarked for the development and purchase,” of these weapons, Mr. Medvedev said.
He did not specify the amounts to be spent on new arms, but said the increases will not take effect until 2011. The daily newspaper Kommersant reported Wednesday that Russia might actually cut its military expenditures for next year amid a hurricane of budgetary woes.
A “qualitative” upsurge in Russian military development is necessary because conflict looks more likely than ever in the present world, Medvedev argued. “Threats remain that can bring about local crises and international terrorism; NATO is not halting its efforts to widen its military infrastructure near the borders of our country,” he added.
In a separate statement, Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov called for a robust military response to what he described as Washington’s attempts to drive Russia into a strategic corner. “US aspirations have been aimed at getting access to raw materials, energy, and other resources,” of the former USSR, he said. “Active support was given to attempts to push Russia out of its traditional sphere of interests.”
Russia has been discussing military renewal for several years as Soviet-era hardware deteriorates, the old-fashioned conscript army grows increasingly dysfunctional, and fresh military challenges emerge. Last summer’s flash war against the neighboring ex-Soviet republic of Georgia was won handily by Russia’s Caucasus-based 58th Army, but postwar analyses highlighted disastrous shortcomings that cost the Russian forces dearly.
Russia has also been moving to bolster its regional alliance system and develop military cooperation with neighboring China, which also happens to be one of the biggest clients for Russian arms sales.
Some experts suggest that the sudden burst of strident talk coming out of Moscow, including declarations of rearmament and proposals to base Russian nuclear-capable bombers in Latin America, is mostly political atmospherics aimed at putting Obama on the defensive when he meets with Medvedev on the sidelines of the G-20 conference in London next month to renegotiate the strategic relationship between the two countries.
But others say Russia’s rearmament plans are very real, and may even be long overdue. “We are not happy at all with the Army we have,” says Viktor Baranets, a military expert with the independent Moscow daily Komsomolskaya Pravda.
“It may have won the Caucasus war, but it proved itself to be an outdated Army of the Soviet type. Even though some parts still work well, such as the strategic missile command, our Army is basically good for nothing,” he says.
The message delivered by Medvedev is that Russia will no longer scrimp and save at the expense of its armed forces. “This statement is mainly for domestic consumption, to reassure the Russian public that we are ready to meet all challenges,” Mr. Baranets adds.