I think the Russian federation is going to be significantly trimmed down in size, but just prior to that produce one really awesome general, secure the trailways east to eastern Russia. Eastern Russia will become increasingly dependent upon Chinese imports, but will have less hydroponic incentives to offer to China in return, and China will push at least once towards Lake Baikal in a military strike to get it into the Russians heads not to be too uppity. Arctic trade will increase, and western Arctic Russia to Norway, where percepitation occurs, will have a population boom and agricultural revolution.
Think if NATO survives, it will eventually absorb Georgia-Armenia, minus the issues of nagorno-karabakh. We will build a canal from Azerbaijan into Georgia and Turkey, elevation locks will be a engineering obstacle, but necessary mid century to get central Asia to lean towards NATO.
If NATO goes, then Turkey certainly gets shoved out of any future alliance, it will team up with Russia and Iran, but the axis will turn silly after the Russia Black Sea Fleet turns into a few middle ships and coast guard craft. Iran will within two generations become the dominate ally when Russia starts to decline rapidly for Turkey minus NATO, with NATO, Poland most likely and US.
European ports will become completely mechanized, open boarders vs Security in 30 years will shift ideologically… we will be much more tolerant than we currently are of migrants and open access because a lot of the jobs they go after will be gone, completely computerized, like our ports are becoming (no human workers already in some ports), social media and internet tracking will much more easily predict who is leaning to what, and are capable of launching high death count attacks, and furthermore, UV scanning will be able to determine on bridges and main roadways who is carrying explosives or smuggling drugs, and our city centers will start upgrading this, causing all but the most cautious and clean terrorists to stick out like a sore thumb.
Cost of land will go down, but not because of socialism or fiat rules or population decline, but because rent will be seen as a more risky investment, after a rent bubble explodes.
I think the shipping industry will switch to fully mechanized ships, that we will have a lot of ships hanging out off shore waiting for more favorable markets… sales on non-perishables will coincide with economic spikes elsewhere… cargo owners will want to offload to buy and sell elsewhere.
In other words… you may be getting in San Francisco a hugh sneaker sale coinciding with the launch of a new iPhone… a ship off shore will want to ship those phones, but are stuffed with shoes, and markets will become saturated because there was no increased demand… selling phones in Africa or Asia causes a North American spike, depressing sales, European cargo owners cause a economic stir… a lot of silliness like that will dominate global economics.
Think we will back off steel, switch to ceramics and carbon based materials as they can be stored without rusting. Demolition business is a safe bet for a while.
Europe will start emphasizing Marines over Army, with drone air force. Mech infantry will see AI driven vehicles, still dependent on human infantry, some track/wheel support. Many countries will shift to providing expensive AI, while encouraging specialist countries to provide infantry. Before end of century, NATO and African Union will clash outside the Air Mountains. Russia will join NATO, Arab League will be very cosy to NATO and Europe, will actually have better land vehicles and optics. Nobody will give a fuck about the Persian Gulf.
When rent falls, computers can provide basic nursing functions, Finland will become more antagonistic towards Russia over it’s lost lands. Won’t result in a invasion, but they will start heavily leaning towards NATO.
Oh… Russia will hack Foxconn here in the next 15 years. I fully expect Russia to be ahead on automation by 2065, but it will be in pointless areas, like to shore up for a lack of workers and increase industrial output. A lot of countries will be fast after them doing similar, some African, south American, Asian… not just western countries, but Russia will try to create a AI proletariat in a era when that shit doesn’t matter anymore. It’s about services, like healthcare, not industry.