Slumping oil prices have put Russia's economy on course for a sharp recession next year, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said Friday, as authorities scaled up their bailout for the first bank to succumb to the recent ruble crisis.
The economy is slowing sharply as Western sanctions over the Ukraine crisis deter foreign investment and spur capital flight, and as a slump in oil prices severely reduces Russia's export revenues and pummels the ruble.
The government has taken steps to support key banks and address the deepening currency crisis over the past week, including a sharp and unexpected interest rate hike, but analysts are pessimistic on the outlook for both the economy and the ruble.
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