Western countries consider Russia under President Vladimir Putin as an expansionist nation trying to reclaim its Soviet-era glory. On the other hand, Russian authorities have accused the West of trying to break Russia up into pieces. But Russia may be at the risk of crumbling into pieces even without any Western interference, reports The Economist. Image Credit: The Economist Putin has reversed federalism in Russia The Soviet Union collapsed because it had overstretched itself and run out of money. The local leaders saw no benefit in being part of a bankrupt nation. Many regions such as Tatarstan, Siberia and Ural had declared their "sovereignty" at the time. But the then Russian President Boris Yeltsin promised these regions "as much sovereignty as they could swallow" in exchange for staying... More