Russia Prepares For Hard Times

Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, heads the Security Council in Moscow's Kremlin on Dec. 26, 2014. Alexei Druzhinin, Presidential Press Service/RIA Novosti

Vasily Kashin, analyst, Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, Moscow/Defense News: Russia Prepares for Lengthy Confrontation With West, Economic Restructuring

WNU Editor: Everyone that I know in Russia is expecting hard and tough times as a result of Ukraine, western sanctions, and the fall in commodity prices like oil. As an outside looking in I find the entire situation very strange .... living in Canada I live the good life, but everything back in my old country is now the opposite .... among my family/friends/associates/and contacts .... there is no optimism for the short term .... everyone is preparing for the worse. Interestingly .... I have detected no change in support for Putin .... many still support him and do not blame him for the current crisis. I disagree .... but in Russia I am in the minority on this one.

Update: Analysis: Putin, Russia confront a new, unstable reality -- Michael Birnbaum, Stars and Stripes/The Washington Post