Russia has become an enormous black hole for our money,

The only time (the West) ... has been successful in tracking down despot money is when it's been too late, ... The Laundry Men.

In Russia they actually go out and patrol, but to collect their money. In Kazakhstan it is so pitiful that the officials, the game wardens, do not even bother to go out.

It always goes badly for Russia. It's bad when we don't have money and bad when we do.

The Russian drama began at the end of 1991, when the Soviet Union mercifully ended. Russia and 14 other new countries emerged from the ruins of the Soviet Union. Every one of those 15 new states faced a profound historical, economic, financial, social and political challenge.

Russia has gone through eight years of continuing economic pain.