When Vladimir Putin was given a dire forecast of the economy under the cloud of a crippling coronavirus pandemic and a sharp fall in global demand for petroleum, the Russian president was much less bullish about his country’s prospects in a price war with oil-producing rival Saudi Arabia. “For our economy, yes definitely, this is a very serious challenge,” Putin told Audit Chamber head Aleksei Kudrin on April 1, adding that the United States, which recently surpassed Russia and Saudi Arabia to become the world’s largest oil producer, would also suffer. It was a big step back from the line being floated just two weeks ago when, despite Russia’s economic dependence on natural resources, Moscow engaged in a bit of chest-thumping about its chances in a price war, arguing that Russia was in a stronger position than its main competitors to ride it out. But that was before the […]