Putin Faces ’Unpopular’ Decisions to Overhaul Russia’s Economy - Businessweek

Putin Faces ’Unpopular’ Decisions to Overhaul Russia’s Economy - Businessweek: Putin would take the country’s job just as the global slowdown threatens to throttle demand for oil, the lifeblood of the Russian economy. The risk is that Putin, an officer in the Soviet-era KGB who says economic-policy makers must avoid “liberal experiments,” will struggle to combat challenges that threaten the country’s long-term growth prospects, said former Economy Minister Yevgeny Yasin.