European and Russian leaders were both defiant in the face of economic tensions on 18 December, with EU leaders announcing new sanctions on Crimea and Russian President Vladimir Putin warning his country of two years of recession.
During an annual press conference that “usually serves as an arena for the president’s populist showmanship”, writes The Financial Times, Putin “faced more hard-hitting questioning from the usually loyal crowd, particularly on the economy”. But the financial daily emphasises Putin placed responsibility for the country’s woes elsewhere —
He claimed that a period of economic hardship was the price Russia would have to …read more
Source: VoxEeurop
