From Grigory Yavlinsky’s Facebook page, 25.03.2016

Vladimir Putin at his meeting with [Russian] businessmen-billionaires has been discussing geopolitics, rather than the economy. This means that “grooming sheep” for geopolitical needs, presidential operation codenamed “Give us money!” is about to start soon. It very clearly demonstrates what the politics has done to the economy, how it drove the latter to an absolute deadlock.

For example, yesterday the Russia did not managed to place government bonds in western banks (almost no one agreed), that is, it was virtually not able to borrow money… Oil prices doe no rise, but budget expenditures are rising: for the defense industry, for Crimea, Donbass, illegal distribution of budget money, and Strelkov-Girkin, ex “defense Minister of self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic” is speaking in economic forums in Moscow (!)…

And what to do? What to say to businessmen? About geopolitics, that is how it is important to protect Bashar al-Assad, subordinate Kiev, hamstring the Americans, split the Europeans, kiss throughout the Chinese and so on. That is why the billionaires were leaving the meeting with the “Father” in sad and discouraged mood. They, more than anyone else, understand everything about “grooming sheep”, but they do not dare to even think about objecting to President. They can only run away…

It seems that the Kremlin has decided that we do not need the economy at all…