2. How has Russia's natural resource base allowed it to become a dominant player in the global economy? Even countries that don't depend on Russian oil are likely to feel an impact from any disruption to global oil supplies. One means of moderating the rising cost of oil is to produce more. Why is it so difficult to increase production? What does this tell you about U.S. dependency (and that of other nations) on imported oil? How could a move to renewable energy change the geopolitical dynamic?