Boris Nemtsov: Putin ready for sanctions and will continue war

The Kremlin starts to live in the reality of the second cold war.

This was written in a blog of one of the leaders of the Russian opposition, Boris Nemtsov, at the website of “Echo of Moscow” radio station.

Vladimir Putin “will continue the war and confrontation with the entire world. He does not give a damn about the economy and problems of citizens, who are to suffer from the sanctions certainly. He wants to rule until 2024, that is, 10 more years, and the question about a chosen successor in 2018 does not exist. Putin said to get ready for the sanctions for the next 10 years.”

These plans of Putin, according to Nemtsov, mean a double digit rise in prices, drop in incomes, and fall of living standards.

“Devaluation continues not only because of the falling oil prices, but because of foreign exchange deficit. A bank crisis, bankruptcies of banks are highly possible. Soon limitations on withdrawal of deposits and money transfers, especially in foreign currency, are possible. Against the background of inflation the economy is going to fall,” the oppositionist noted. “We are living in a new reality, my dear. It’s a reality of a second cold war. The previous cold war had been lost by the Soviet Union, and it collapsed. The chance to lose the new cold war is huge. The simple reason for that is the difference between the economic capacities of the West and Russia is too great. It is 16 times as great! Russia is just 6% of Europe’s economy and the US. 6% - just remember this figure. It’s time to study the experience of Iran living in the conditions of years-long sanctions, and continue the struggle against the Russophobic government in the Kremlin.”