Russia’s central bank chief warned Monday that the consequences of Western sanctions were only beginning to be felt, and Moscow’s mayor said 200,000 jobs were at risk in the Russian capital alone, stark acknowledgments that undermined President Vladimir Putin’s contention that sanctions had failed to destabilize the Russian economy.
The bleak assessments from two senior officials align with the forecast of many experts that Russia faces a steep economic downturn as its inventory of imported goods and parts runs low. How Russians react to the financial hardships resulting from Putin’s invasion of Ukraine will determine in part whether anything can weaken the Russian leader’s grip on power or sap support for the war.
Russia’s economy has avoided a crippling collapse for now, but more sanctions are on the way that would further increase the economic pain. The European Union is formulating a plan to curb imports of Russian oil. And U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is expected to call on American allies to increase economic pressure on Russia at the spring meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in Washington this week, according to a Treasury official.
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