There’s a very interesting op/ed in the Wall Street Journal today entitled “Genghis Putin” by Michael Auslin of AEI, focusing on the raft of business deals the Russian government is stapling down in Mongolia. Auslin’s concern is that a stronger presence from Russia could do much to undermine the country’s scrappy and stable democratic system. Auslin argues “If the next American president ignores Moscow’s inroads, democratic development in Asia will come under threat and the United States may soon be faced with a strategic challenge in one of the world’s most resource-rich regions. (…) If Russia succeeds in blackmailing Mongolia into economic subservience, then it can try to extend this tactic to other Central Asian nations.” Strong stuff. Check it out after the cut.