Nuclear weapons, and especially non-strategic nuclear weapons, feature prominently. Some Russian analysts claim that this is a policy derived from fears of external military intervention at the expense of Russian interests in association in a revived Great Game over oil, gas, and pipelines in the Caucasus, Caspian, and Central Asia. Putin s agenda with the U.S. and the West seems to have focused on two core military-political concerns. The first is U.S. National Missile Defense. Many Russian analysts fear that playing the second card has precluded the third course of action.
Many military men see the first course of action as a sufficient response to the challenge.
The second issue is NATO expansion, especially as it includes the Baltic States. Western press reports about the deployment of such weapons to Kaliningrad have elicited repeated Russian denials. While Putin s domestic and foreign policy remain popular with Russians, it is very important to keep in mind the mid and long-term environment in which he is functioning. The current economic revival owes much to the sudden rise in energy prices, which may not continue. The actual situation confronting the Russian economy and society is one of desperate and interconnected crises that cannot be quickly or easily solved.