Boris Nemtsov, a Russian opposition leader, explains to belsat.eu why Putin and his minions are not afraid of oil prices’ declining and what for they remain ‘jerks’.
The price for Brent crude has slidden to $76 per barrel. Western analysts do not rule out that it will drop to $50 in 2015. Boris, you are a mover of the idea of correlations between oil prices and the authorities’ intelligence. Do you believe the Kremlin will get wiser when oil becomes horribly cheap?
They hope oil prices start to go up and they will be able to remain such jerks as they are now but prices will not go up, and it’s not because of some ‘wicked power’. Firstly, China is slowing down, secondly, Europe is facing a period of stagnation, thirdly, the USA has increased oil production. That is why they have two scenarios: to remain jerks and ditch Russia or to carry out structural economic reforms, hire another team, dismiss Dmitry Medvedev, etc. Which way will Putin choose? I think the worst one. He will continue working with those perfect fools of his.
Are liberals and reformers in Russia’s Government able to persuade Putin of the necessity of such reforms?
Their influence on taking such decision is equal to zero, and it is the so called ‘system’s liberals’ cooperating with Putin who are to blame for that. They are usual stooges who serve these, I’m sorry to say, f*cking praisers of war.
Gref (president and chair to the board of Russia’s Sberbank), Ulyukayev (Minister of Economic Development), Siluanov (Finance Minister) – these people are screening today’s mayhem with their liberal cover. They are zero without a figure.
At the same time, the nation is on Putin’s side and considers him Mr Nice Guy.
They do not realise that they are intoxicated by imperial ideas. They like that ‘Krym Nash’ [‘Crimea is Ours’], that we are so cool, that we have had everyone off. They do not link the current decline to Putin’s policy of war and aggression. It will take us time to freshen and wake out of this trance. You know, it is not an easy task to come to senses after [the people] were forcefed with this imperial vomity, after this ‘imperial greatness’ went to their heads.
But it comes to ordinary people, what about intellectuals?
Which intellectuals do you mean?
Those who are against Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, who do not shout ‘Crimea is Ours!’
Intellectuals and society are divided. There are ‘krymnashists’ [supporters of the annexation of Crimea] in Russia, but we also have normal people, such as [singer] Andrey Makarevich and [writer] Boris Akunin, and, of course, I am on their side. In spite of this state of intoxication, any lie has its limits and strategically, we stand every chance to overcome it.
Yury Wysocki/MS
