Putin has driven the Russian economy into a dead end

Oleg Vyugin, an economist and former high-ranking Central Bank official, made a statement on this matter.

In his opinion, the relatively good period for the Russian economy has already ended.

"High inflation is eating away at all this seemingly short-term success," the expert emphasized.

One cannot also ignore the fact that the aggressor country faces sanctions, a weakened currency, unclear prospects for oil prices, and the fear of losing support from China.

According to him, record borrowing costs have already become noticeable for the aggressor country.

What's next?

As mentioned earlier, the Central Bank forecasts inflation at 4.5-5% by the end of the year, and the key rate at an average of 17-20%.

Sofia Donets, an economist at T-Investments, predicts that this will be a year of belt-tightening for Russia.

For consumers and businesses, this means reduced credit for purchases and investments. The collapse in oil prices is one of the biggest risks to the economy in 2025, Donets believes. If the price falls even lower, Russia will have to make sacrifices, she says.

Promsvyazbank believes that a quick end to the war could contribute to the strengthening of the ruble, the return of foreign investors and export revenues.