The ruble fell to its weakest level this year as oil resumed declines and investors speculated a traditional pick-up in end-of-year budget spending will hurt the Russian currency by pumping extra cash into companies and banks. The currency depreciated 2.2 percent to 72.2450 per dollar by 12:54 p.m. in Moscow, its third straight loss, as Brent crude headed toward $37 a barrel. The decline was the biggest among emerging-market currencies tracked by Bloomberg and brought its retreat this year to almost 19 percent. Russia’s currency is on track for it’s third annual decline after oil sank to the lowest in 11 years and U.S. and European governments kept sanctions in place as punishment for Russia’s role in the Ukraine crisis. Additional pressure before the new year is coming from the Finance Ministry, which typically increases its budget spending in the final few days and provides companies with ruble cash […]