Ulrich Speck: How Merkel can win the wrestling match against Putin
Russia aims to be a global power, on equal footing with the United States. This is understandable with regard to the self-image of Russia as the successor of the Soviet Union, which was indeed one pole in a bipolar world order - on equal footing with the Unites States. But the ambition is not backed up by corresponding power resources. For many years Russia has tried to build its power on the energy riches of the country. But the concept of becoming an "energy superpower" has largely failed. The income from oil and gas has declined massively, and the dependency of the Russian economy on energy has turned out to be a curse: all attempts to diversify the economy have failed. Economically, Russia is declining further.