Geography, resources and ecosystems link Alaska inextricably to its neighbor, Russia. Russia requires a special relationship, with specialized institutions and specialists to manage them. With oil nearing $150 a barrel, Russia is enjoying boom times. The Putin/Medvedev social contract gives Russians stability, freedom to buy things they want and travel abroad, in exchange for Kremlin control over profits.
:fill(white):background_color(white)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/adn/ZLKQK4ENYJBHZE4W7NC3NDWIRU.jpg)