Sweden 's defense minister went on TV a few days ago to announce new military readiness measures in response to Russia 's military maneuvers . The ruble dropped nearly 20 % in one day , creating an economic crisis for Russia . Frida ##n : Vladimir Putin will try to blame Russia 's problems on the West . She says Putin has strong approval ratings but Russians will likely face sanctions . Ghitis : Will he create a new military crisis to distract from the backlash of economic woes ?
The ruble dropped nearly 20 % in one day , creating an economic crisis for Russia . Frida ##n : Vladimir Putin will try to blame Russia 's problems on the West . She says Putin has strong approval ratings but Russians will likely face sanctions . Ghitis : Will he create a new military crisis to distract from the backlash of economic woes ?