Russia-US relations post-Georgia

An interesting article about how relations between Russia and the US (and NATO) could change for the worse due to the Georgian conflict. Generally, because the US is far more thinly stretched throughout the world and is not the regional hegemon in eastern Europe, the "bad" consequences fall on its side. However, it seems that the negatives don't all swing the US way:

Moscow may also be checked by the desire of its economic elite to remain on the path to integration with the rest of the world. The main Russian stock index fell sharply in recent days, costing investors $10 billion — many with close ties to the circle of Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin.

It seems that the same group of rich folks who have made post-Soviet Russia so powerful may be the ones who check Putin's power-grabbing... Really interesting article; certainly worth a read.

[via NYT]