Paul Antonopoulos — [Central] Banker: Russian inflation will be about 3% in early 2018 - economy continues to grow despite US sanctions

Russian economy on track in spite of sanctions.

Fort Russ
[Central] Banker:Russian inflation will be about 3% in early 2018 - economy continues to grow despite US sanctions
Paul Antonopoulos

Interfax — Moody’s upgrades Russia rating outlook to stable

Moody’s Investors Service has changed the outlook for Russia’s sovereign ratings to stable from negative.

Russia’s issuer rating and the rating for Russian government bonds have been affirmed at Ba1, and the short-term rating has been affirmed at Not Prime, the rating agency said in a press release....

Johnson's Russia List
Interfax: Moody’s upgrades Russia rating outlook to stable

John Richard Cookson — Russia's Financial System: How Vulnerable? Collapse is not in the cards.

Neoliberal analysis of the Russian economy and outlook by Russian liberal Sergey Aleksashenko, the former first deputy chairman of Russia's Central Bank and a former deputy finance minister, as well as former chairman and CEO of Merrill Lynch Russia.

Here's the flavor of it.

All indications of current head of the Russian central bank, Elvira Nabiullina, are that, while maintaining some constitutional autonomy, she is also “very keen to provide money to the government one way or another” to finance any future federal budgets, Aleksashenko said. And monetary finance, “definitely leads to inflation, sooner or later,” he added.

Happily he is out of job in the Russian government and Nabiullina is in. Maybe MMT will catch on someday.

At least he thinks that "collapse is not in the cards," as the neoliberal world is hoping.

The National Interest
Russia's Financial System: How Vulnerable? Collapse is not in the cards.
John Richard Cookson

Econmatters — Russia Cuts Interest Rate As Economy Contracts

Bank of Russia forecast.

Econmatters
Russia Cuts Interest Rate As Economy Contracts

See also

Russia Insider
Russian Central Bank Slashes Interest Rate 

Alexander Mercouris

Constantin Gurdgiev — From Worst to Best: Reasons for Ruble's Miracle Recovery

In other words, we have many, many moving parts to one equation. One can't tell the dominant one, or which are likely to last longer, but my sense is that majority of these forces are temporary and the long-run link between Ruble and oil price will be regained. 

Now, assuming oil price dynamics remain where they are today (weak upside), Ruble is likely to devalue again, back to USD/RUB 55-57 range. If inflation does not fall toward 10% in Q2 2015 (and I do not think it will), we are likely to see Ruble move into USD/RUB 60-65 range over this quarter. On the other hand, improved outlook for the economy (signalling, say annual contraction closer to 3.5-4 percent) can see Ruble staying within the USD/RUB 50-53 range.

True Economics

From Worst to Best: Reasons for Ruble's Miracle Recovery

Constantin Gurdgiev

Russia: Other Points of View Russian Politics: A Different Kind of War [Chris Weafer's assessment]

Chris Weafer, an esteemed, long-term financial analyst in Moscow gives his summary of Russia's economic situation at this stage of the standoff between the U.S., its European allies and Russia. Chris has remained totally neutral in his analysis over the years, is not involved with the Kremlin and has been a boon to American and European investors over the years.

Russia: Other Points of View
Russian Politics: A Different Kind of War

CCI