How secure is the Russian financial situation in the world?

They defaulted in 1998, yet their debtload seems small in comparison to other nations like U.S.A.

Lately a lot of focus on the Russian presidency, and I wonder where they stand financially.

I know they were running a high inflation rate, but with the current property and credit mess going on, are they doing better?

The above answer is bewildering. It started well, but finished straight from the old cold war propaganda.

After the fall of communism, Yeltsin sold the wealth of the country for a song to a few crooks who became multi billionaires, supported by an army of Mafiosos. By 1998 the people were starving and begging in the streets.

Then Yeltsin died and Putin came in. He stamped on the mafia and tried to take back some of the looted wealth, to the screams of anguish from the US and UK who wanted to carry on exploiting the situation.

Putin's policies and the high price of oil has transformed the economy and the country is now catching up with the industrialized countries. Russia, India, China and Brazil are seen as the fastest emerging markets.

Politically it is worried by the US policy of using military power to intervene all over the world , by the rising power of China on their borders and they have a huge problem with their millions of Muslims.

They have been doing well with the Oil market being as high as it is. Domestically, they are hurting. They have a negative birthrate and a mosterous alcoholism rate. Russian women have been leaving in droves, as the men are deadbeat alcoholics. This lead Putin to institute certain days when people stasy home and have babies (i can't make this stuff up!).
They have a very unsecure RFE (Russian Far East) as chinese workers are crossing the border and taking jobs from the russians. They are selling more military armaments to the Chinese, but have not be able to modernize their military at all. They lack the technological infrastructure needed to modernize their Oil/Natural Gas platform, which is resulting in massive monetary losses. The corruption that precludes the efficient establishment and operation of businesses has kept Foreign Direct Investment out of Russian, and therefore pumped in to neighboring Former Soviet Countries. Political corruption is still a very real problem as well, which has been kept at bay from impacting the day to day lives of the Russian Citizens since the price per barrel for oil is over the cutthroat mark for Russia ($17/barrell, which was the price it was at in the mid-90s and damn near collapsed the economy). Since the ppb is so high, there is no incentive for the Political Corruption to be addressed or changed.

It has a long way to go, especially since no businessman has the incentive the make his business a success as he will be thrown in jail and the business confiscated by the government.
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The second answer seems to have forgotten that Putin has oppressed the Press in Russia. Dissolved the lower Duma (a body of government), as absolved local elections in some regions of Russia and established sympathizers. Its not Cold War Propaganda, its called being a part of a US/Russia Security Relations Thinktank for 3 months. If you are looking to Russias INfluence in regional trading blocks, than a focus on the Shanghai Cooperative Organization would equally be appropriate. As for the comment on here about Brazil. I am taking my earnings off the table now. 9 Years ago I got into an ETF for Brasil, and at 684% gains, i am done. The economy is too hot right now and the inflation is a very key issue. I am moving house to Columbia. For Russia, same issue, which is why I am moving to my investing to Turkey.

Franco is spot on.

Russia is a part of the BRIC, Brazil, Russia, India, China of large merging market countries that have the resources, the manpower, and the stability to really allow them to increase their market's value and attract even more investment.

I'm liking Russian telecoms, Brazilian metals, and drybulk shippers that transport China's basic materials. I haven't really eyed anything from India, but I'm watching them..