Currency and geopolitics in post-Soviet space

The ruble will soon strengthen its positions, and its collapse in the current week to historic lows was speculative, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said today. Nevertheless, the negative tendency seems threatening. Economists see several reasons for what is happening - the situation in the Russian economy without reference to the sanctions imposed by Western countries on Moscow, the sanctions against the Russian financial sector - Sberbank, VTB, VEB, Gazprombank and Agricultural Bank; and the new political situation in the world, reflected not only in Russia but all post-Soviet states.

One of the most realistic versions of the events unfolding in Moscow is the one according to which "our Western partners" are making efforts aimed at easing the geopolitical, geo-economic and military-strategic position of Russia, trying to abandon the unidirectional orientation to Western values. And in this situation the frontline states include not only Ukraine, but almost all of Russia's neighbors.

According to current rumors, the increase in mortality and fertility decline in the countries of the former USSR are the result of ongoing activities of Western powers aimed at reducing the population of the post-Soviet space. Scientist Antun Lisets believes that 370 million dollars have already been spent on reducing the birthrate in Russia, in Ukraine - 330 million dollars, In Georgia - 78 million dollars, in Moldova - 64 million dollars, in Belarus - 26 million dollars. Funding for this process is provided by various means. Billions are being invested in the erosion of the traditional family structure, the breakdown of the traditional family, the decline of fertility and the depopulation of entire nations.

Such actions obviously weaken the national security system of the former Soviet states.

It seems that it will be easier to provide financial security when the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEC) reaches its full capacity. One of the aims of the body is the expansion of the use of national currencies in mutual settlements of the parties involved. Talking about creating the Eurasian space of a single financial market, the most optimistic experts predict that the integration process will lead to the displacement of the dollar from the structure of mutual payments. And the introduction of the Western sectoral sanctions can only accelerate the deepening monetary integration, when the dollar and the euro will be pushed away as the main currencies.

It is still unclear whether this will prevent the ongoing expansion of the EU in the post-Soviet countries, because Europe is still quite active in the post-Soviet space. Although some experts claim that the negative effect of the notorious "Eastern Partnership" program is highly overrated by Russian politicians, because this program lacks one major incentive - the prospect of EU membership.

Maria Sidelnikova, editor-in-chief of the Vestnik Kavkaza news agency