Former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan warned against the current government's flippant attitude toward possible harsh responses from Moscow. He believes the authorities fail to grasp the scale of the potential impact Russia could have, including tariff revisions and export blockages.
A RIA Novosti study revealed significant differences in car affordability across Russian regions. The worst situation is observed in the North Caucasus republics, where only a small proportion of families can afford to purchase and maintain a new car on credit.
Ingushetia ranked last, where only 1.9% of families can afford to purchase and maintain a new, inexpensive car costing 1.3 million rubles on credit. Chechnya and Dagestan also ranked last, with 2.3% and 3.7% of families able to afford a car, respectively.
Furthermore, Kabardino-Balkaria ranked last, with only 4.2% of families able to afford a car. The situation is slightly better in North Ossetia and Karachay-Cherkessia, with 5.6%.
The Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Chukotka, and Magadan Oblast topped the rankings. In these regions, the share of families who can afford to purchase and maintain a new, inexpensive car (1.3 million rubles) on credit ranges from 45% to 58%. These regions also lead in the share of families (20-29%) who can afford to purchase and maintain a mid-priced car (2.9 million rubles).