Source: Bloomberg Television's Countdown
Speaking with Linzie Janis and Owen Thomas on Bloomberg Television's Countdown, the Carnegie Moscow Center’s Maria Lipman examined the possibility of Russia contributing to Europe's rescue fund in return for more influence on the International Monetary Fund (IMF). According to Lipman, the final details of the loan package may not be clear for a few weeks while the Kremlin attempts to use its new-found leverage to negotiate on a range of issues with the IMF, including gaining more representation.
When questioned on the Russian public’s response to this decision, Lipman elaborated on how the Kremlin is able to take such decisions without an active debate. This freedom is partially political, resulting from the absence of a viable opposition and the fact that the current government does not regard the public as a force to be reckoned with, but it is also the result of the steady high price of oil, which gives the Kremlin more ability to act unilaterally. However, some observers, including the IMF, are wondering what Moscow’s long-term economic strategy is, with overall growth expected to slow, Lipman concluded.