The Winter Olympics in Sochi put Russia again in the global spotlight — and President Vladimir Putin took the opportunity to present his country as a resurgent power.
But beneath the swagger and fanfare lie serious doubts about Russia's future. Long-term price trends for the mineral resources upon which the economy depends, together with Russia's history (especially the last two decades of Soviet rule), suggest that Putin's luck may well be about to run out.
Mineral-resource price cycles generally begin with a rise lasting eight to 10 years, followed by a longer period of stable, relatively low prices. Given that prices have been on an upswing since the middle of the last decade, they should begin declining within two years, if they have not done so already. Moreover, the last price trough lasted more than 20 years, implying that Russia cannot expect simply to wait it out.