It’s getting harder to tell whether Russia’s preparations for hosting the soccer World Cup in 2018 are in bigger trouble on the field or off it.
On Monday, the government slashed the equivalent of over half a billion dollars from its budget for the tournament, trying to make sure that the ruble’s devaluation doesn’t end up driving the final bill higher. Russia’s budget is under severe pressure from the sharp fall in oil prices and western sanctions over its behavior toward neighboring Ukraine. The European Union renewed its sanctions for another six months Monday.
But at least today the country has solved …read more
Source: Time
