The Russian economy is finally stagnating. What does it mean for the war – and for Putin?

A wartime boom in Russia has given way to sluggish growth, tax hikes and squeezed public services. Will it affect the conflict in Ukraine?Western leaders were bullish when they imposed sanctions on Russia after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.“The Russian economy is on track to be cut in half,” said the then US president, Joe Biden, in March, a month into the war. Continue reading...