ASTANA (Reuters): Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday there was no need to panic about the depreciation of the ruble in recent days, saying the Russian currency’s sometimes sharp fluctuations were related to budget payments and seasonal shifts.
The ruble was rebounding on Thursday from a more than 7percent slide against the US dollar to around the 115 mark in the previous session after the central bank said it would stop buying foreign currency to stabilize financial markets.
Putin was speaking in Astana, Kazakhstan, following a summit with leaders of a security alliance of ex-Soviet countries.
