西方制裁或導致俄經濟收縮

Leading European analysts say Russia - hit by Western sanctions for its role in Ukraine - will see its economy contract next year and slip into a mild recession.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development forecast on Wednesday a 0.2 percent Russian downturn for 2015, after predicting in May a 0.6 percent expansion for the same period.

The bank, which monitors economies of Central and Eastern Europe, maintained its forecast of zero Russian growth this year.

In its latest outlook report, the bank also predicted that Ukraine's already battered economy will plunge a full 9 percent this year. That prognosis comes just four months after analysts projected a 7 percent drop.

On Tuesday, as the sanctions drove the ruble currency to an all-time low against the U.S. dollar, Deputy Russian Finance Minister Alexei Moiseyev urged the Russian public not to panic.

He attributed the currency plunge to European and U.S. moves to deny Russian banks access to long-term borrowing markets in the West, and said talks are under way with Russia's central bank to ease the crisis.歐洲經濟分析師預測，由於西方對俄羅斯採取的經濟制裁，俄羅斯經濟可能在明年出現收縮，並陷入一場較爲輕微的衰退。

歐洲重建和發展銀行星期三發佈的報告預測，俄羅斯經濟可能會在2015年收縮0.2%。而今年5月，該銀行曾預測俄羅斯經濟會在明年增長0.6%。

負責追蹤中東歐地區經濟走勢的歐洲重建和發展銀行認爲，今年俄羅斯GDP將出現零增長。

該銀行在最新的展望報告中說，已經遭受重創的烏克蘭經濟將在今年大幅收縮9%。而四個月前，該行預計烏克蘭經濟將收縮7%。

星期二，經濟制裁使得俄羅斯盧布對美元的匯率創下新低。俄羅斯副財長莫斯耶夫呼籲俄羅斯公衆不必恐慌。

他把盧布貶值歸咎於美歐切斷了俄羅斯銀行從西方長期借貸市場獲得融資的能力。但是他強調，俄央行正在尋求對策。