I came across this translation from the Latvian press on TOL about whether or not the global financial crisis is changing Russia’s foreign policy ambitions in its near abroad.  The short answer: no.

You would think that given this increasingly complex domestic situation, Russia’s rulers would not have the time or money to continue the aggressive foreign policies which they have pursued in recent years – those which culminated in August 2008 with the war against Georgia.

But let us not fool ourselves. There are two reasons why the crisis is strengthening, not weakening Russia’s desire to continue on its way with its decided foreign policy course.