Support The Moscow Times!

Russia Holds Rates After Putin Urges Caution

Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina. Sergei Karpukhin / TASS

Russia's Central Bank on Friday held interest rates unchanged after President Vladimir Putin cautioned against cutting borrowing costs prematurely.

Moscow last year hiked its key interest rate to 16% to combat a surge in inflation, as the Russian currency wobbled under the pressure of Western sanctions.

The Central Bank said on Friday it was still too early to start cutting rates, with inflation currently running at an annual rate of 7.8%, above the official 4.0% target.

"Inflationary pressures are gradually easing but remain high," it said.

"Inflation will return to the target somewhat more slowly" than it expected in February, it continued, adding that higher rates would also be required for a longer time.

"We do not rule out maintaining the current key rate until the end of the year," Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina told a press conference after the rate decision.

Speaking to business leaders on Thursday, Putin had stressed the need to be "careful" over when to start cutting rates.

"The threat of inflation, as the leaders of the Central Bank say, still hangs over us," the Kremlin leader told a business forum.

Russia has defied initial expectations of economic collapse amid its military offensive in Ukraine.

Earlier this month, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) upgraded its forecast for Russia's economic growth in 2024 to 3.2%.

A surge in defense spending and redirecting energy exports to the likes of China and India have protected the economy but pushed up prices at home.

Putin pointed to the example of Turkey — which has hiked rates to 50% to battle a crippling inflation crisis — as a cautionary tale.

"If we go the other way, we may have a situation like that in some neighboring countries, where inflation is double digit... They have crossed some kind of threshold and now cannot deal with it," he told the forum.

Nabiullina, a key economic ally of Putin, has been credited with keeping the Russian economy on track through emergency rate hikes and capital controls despite an onslaught of Western sanctions.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more