I recently read something interesting online, talking about the relationship between Russia and OPEC, and this part got me:
http://english.ruvr.ru/2010/09/10/19722157.html
So what happens if the USSR does join and have the power to affect global oil prices?
http://english.ruvr.ru/2010/09/10/19722157.html
The Soviet Union would not tolerate any political dependence on the Islamic states, and this rejection of OPEC membership largely contributed to the country’s collapse. In exchange for sophisticated arms supplies, the US persuaded Saudi Arabia to sharply increase oil production in the early 1980s, thus causing a global market meltdown. Consequently, the Soviet Union lost most of its revenues and eventually ceased to exist.
So what happens if the USSR does join and have the power to affect global oil prices?