Russia's economy minister says the country is on 'the brink of recession'

Key Points

• On the brink of recession: Economy Minister Maxim Reshetnikov warned at the St. Petersburg forum that current sentiment and indicators suggest Russia is poised to enter a recession.
• Outperforming vs threats: Under heavy Western sanctions, Russia’s economy has outperformed forecasts thanks to high defense spending and robust wage growth, but faces long-term risks from inflation and a lack of foreign investment.
• Militarized growth: Elevated defense-related bonuses and benefits have bolstered incomes in poorer regions, yet reliance on military spending raises doubts about sustainable development.
• Policy decisive: Reshetnikov stressed that avoiding a recession hinges on government decisions, though Finance Minister Anton Siluanov and Central Bank head Elvira Nabiullina view the slowdown as a manageable cooling or end to overheating.

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — Russia's economy is “on the brink of going into a recession,” the country's economy minister said Thursday, according to Russian media reports.

Economy Minister Maxim Reshetnikov delivered the warning at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the annual event in Russia's second largest city designed to highlight the country's economic prowess and court foreign investors.

Russian business news outlet RBC quoted the official as saying “the numbers indicate cooling, but all our numbers are (like) a rearview mirror. Judging by the way businesses currently feel and the indicators, we are already, it seems to me, on the brink of going into a recession.”

The economy, hit with a slew of sanctions after the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, has so far outperformed predictions. High defense spending has propelled growth and kept unemployment low despite fueling inflation. At the same time, wages have gone up to keep pace with inflation, leaving many workers better off.

Large recruiting bonuses for military enlistees and death benefits for those killed in Ukraine also have put more income into the country’s poorer regions. But over the long term, inflation and a lack of foreign investments remain threats to the economy, leaving a question mark over how long the militarized economy can keep going.

Economists have warned of mounting pressure on the economy and the likelihood it would stagnate due to lack of investment in sectors other than the military.

Speaking at a forum session, Reshetnikov said Russia was “on the brink,” and whether the country would slide into a recession or not depends on the government's actions.

“Going forward, it all depends on our decisions," Reshetnikov said, according to RBC.

RBC reported Russia's Finance Minister Anton Siluanov and Central Bank Gov. Elvira Nabiullina gave more optimistic assessments.

Siluanov spoke about the economy “cooling” but noted that after any cooling “the summer always comes," RBC reported.

Nabiullina said Russia's economy was merely “coming out of overheating," according to RBC.