MOSCOW—Russia will defend its geopolitical interests, President Vladimir Putin warned Thursday as he promised economic reforms to pull his country back from the brink of recession. But Putin’s patriotic bluster and vague promises did little to assuage real fears that Western sanctions, plummeting oil prices and a collapsing ruble are crippling Russia’s economy.
In his annual state-of-the-nation address at the Grand Kremlin Palace, Putin announced measures to spur the country’s flagging economy, which is set to enter recession in 2015 for the first time in six years.
“The quality and size of the Russian economy must correspond to our geopolitical and historical …read more
Source: The Epoch Times
