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Russia is really a breeding ground of trouble. Start off with the fact that it is a HUGE nation made up of many many ethnic groups with their own agendas (you have those of Far East, Middle East, and the various European descents all in the same country) which in itself is a major problem given that various groups seek various things including independence.
Add in the fact that the government is weak and that problem is compounded many times over. Before when the USSR was still around, who would dare rebel when they could annihilate you at will.
The government is in a weak position in part due to an absolutely horrid economy. The mafia, often run by former KGB men, is in large control of local economics in many places. Lack of money to pay your military is not smart either. The fact that soldiers may have to sell gun parts to feed their family is telling. When your military orders jets and can't pay for them, your national defense industries fail too.
And amidst all this comes the issue of nuclear weapons - Russia still has the second most in the world.
Whats tough is that Russia has long had a tradition of autocratic government. And that is hard to get by - the entire population of Russia once grew under those circumstances and are used to it. Democracy is wanted by many but it is also suspicious to them. And when you have a small vacuum of power and people willing to take advantage of the situation, you have problems.
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