Part 10/14:
However, as reserves dwindle and inflation intensifies, this strategy becomes increasingly untenable. If Russia can no longer afford to pay its soldiers or sustain its economic incentives, it might be forced to resort to conscription or accept internal dissent—risks that Putin has thus far avoided. The potential collapse of the financial system linked to gold reserves escalation signals that the leadership is acutely aware of the mounting internal and external threats and is scrambling for solutions.