MOSCOW (AP) — A fact-checking look at some of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statements on the ruble collapse and the Ukrainian crisis from his annual news conference Thursday:
With the ruble losing about half its value since January, a staggering capital outflow and flagging investment, experts are predicting the Russian economy will plunge into recession next year.
Despite Putin’s repeated pledges to steer Russia’s economy away from oil and gas, those two industries still account for more than half of government revenues.
Putin, who has an 81 percent approval rating from Russians, was confident enough to openly mention a negative scenario laid out …read more
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
