Russia is hoarding gold; you should worry

MOSCOW — The Central Bank of the Russian Federation announced this week on its website that in March, Russia bought approximately 30 tons of gold, bringing its total gold reserves to 1,238 metric tons. Russia is now the fifth-largest holder of gold reserves, according to the International Monetary Fund. And this is only the gold that Russia wants to the world to know about! As with China, Russia may not be fully reporting its gold reserves to the IMF, which is dominated by the United States. The West should be worried about China’s hoarding of gold as well, but that’s for another column.

Why is this a problem for the West? It’s not if taken in a vacuum of world events. However, when coupled with recent geopolitical history, Russia hoarding gold is a sign of things to come. It is a window into the mind of Russian President Vladimir Putin .... http://www.washingtontimes.com