(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) Anna Borshchevskaya - In a May 2015 article, Russian economist Sergei Guriev concluded that the Kremlin cannot afford its current military expenditures. In addition to its strong military support for separatists in eastern Ukraine, Russia has troops stationed in Armenia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Transnistria, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. As Russia's overall population continues to hover at 144 million, its Muslim population has reached around 21-23 million and growing. This expanding Muslim population is likely to have serious implications for Russia's security, armed forces, and foreign policy, as some analysts believe Muslims may soon make up as many as half of Russia's military conscripts. Meanwhile, Russia continues to lose its domestic battle with radical Islam, which has intensified and spread throughout the Caucasus and Central Asia.
2015-09-10 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive