On my first trip to Dneprodzerzhinsk, Ukraine (via Aeroflot and a long road trip through southern Russia in the icy winter of 2001), there was only one restaurant in the whole city (about the size of Oceanside). On another trip a couple years later, there were a bunch in the same town. Change happened much quicker in Moscow, of course, and has slowed in Ukraine due to the war.
Despite all of Putin’s faults, Russia is definitely not sliding back into communism. We need to help Ukraine establish a neutrality that will benefit all without making Ivan jealous or insecure. That is likely to happen only if Ukraine embraces the militia ethic, something they displayed admirably during the war before the Ukrainian government (under pressure from Soros, Obama and the EU) suppressed it.
Now, the average age of high net worth Russians has reached 50 and above, and their objectives are changing accordingly. They’re aiming not only to preserve or spend their money, but also to ensure that the family’s wealth is well managed to achieve necessary compliance with local and international legal and tax requirements; safely transfer the wealth to their children from generation to generation; and involve other members of the family in their businesses.
