Stumbling under the strain of low crude oil prices, the Russian economy will run out of reserve funds as early as 2017, the deputy finance minister said. Russian Deputy Finance Minister Tatiana Nesterenko said private sector investments are all-but out of the question when access to foreign markets is limited . “Reserve funds are depleting. We believe reserve funds may end at such rates of their spending,” she said. “We will use up resources received when oil prices were high by 2017-18.” The Russian military intervention in the Syrian civil war on the side of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad put positive pressure on crude oil prices. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said last week Russia was responding from a position of weakness brought […]