Page 7 - RusRPTJan22

clear he also wants new arms agreements and already signed off on the renewal of the Start III missile deal in his first week in office so there is some common ground between the two sides.
While the economy is expected to slow in 2022 to around 2% for the full year, Russia’s fate will be decided in these security deal talks. The Kremlin has been hardening its line since Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov’s new rules of the game speech in February and it looks like 2022 will be a defining year in Russia’s modern history where its long-term relation with the West will be set. If those talks fail then there is a possibility of a return to a Cold War-like stand off between Russia and the west. The freeze in international relations will also almost certain be accompanied by a crackdown and increased repression in domestic politics.
7 RUSSIA Country Report January 2022 www.intellinews.com