Russian President Vladimir Putin recently warned that his country will feel the effects of low birthrates and declining demographics of the 1990s. "At that time, our country faced a profound demographic crisis. The consequences of this crisis we have not yet felt ourselves, but they will be felt on the economic and social spheres, and in the industrial development," said the President. "We will, unfortunately, face this the coming years." He noted that demographics have vastly improved since then, with birth indicators at their best in the past 20 years.
The real demographic issue that Putin alluded to -- due in large part to a smaller female birth rate throughout the 1990s and steady migration -- was the declining quantity of women in the country reaching child-bearing age. Russia is not alone in this -- practically all European countries are facing a demographic crisis due to low birthrates among core populations.
In other news, Russian state oil company "Rosneft" inked a deal with the Chinese to deliver $270 billion worth of crude over the next 25 years. While economically beneficial for Moscow, this announcement nonetheless caused concern over potential price hikes of gas inside Russia, as consumers pay attention to oil outflows to the ever-demanding Chinese market.