Russia faces full-blown crisis, says Kudrin - FT.com

Russia faces full-blown crisis, says Kudrin - FT.com:



"Russia faces a “full-blown economic crisis” next year that will trigger a series of defaults and the loss of its investment-grade credit rating, a respected former finance minister has warned.



Real incomes will fall by 2-5 per cent next year, the first decrease in real terms since 2000, said Alexei Kudrin, a longtime ally of President Vladimir Putin and widely tipped to succeed Dmitry Medvedev as prime minister.



His warning came as Russia’s central bank was forced to prop up a midsized lender in a sign of the strains on the banking system."



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