Bleak assessments of the Russian economy clash with Putin’s rosy claims.
In his televised videoconference later in the day with Ms. Nabiullina and several other officials, Mr. Putin acknowledged that the Russian economy did face some problems, including inflation. He said he had already directed the pensions and salaries of state employees — part of Mr. Putin’s political base — to be adjusted for inflation and indicated that he supported greater government spending to stimulate the economy. “The budget should actively support the economy, saturate the economy with financial resources,…