The Risk Of Confrontation With Russia -- A Commentary

From Forbes Magazine:

Russia's actions over the last few days underscore a central but largely unacknowledged challenge in American foreign policy: that Russia is in the process of implementing a series of initiatives that will inevitably lead to a confrontation with the U.S.

For one, Russia decided for the first time this week to join an OPEC effort to cut oil production, a move that will inevitably heighten tensions with the West. In the past, Russia has resisted, but now the world's largest oil producer and second-largest exporter of petroleum has indicated it would even consider formally joining OPEC. Russia, which could risk losing its coveted membership in the G-8, may well reduce the 9.75 million barrels it produces each day by 300,000.

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