Russia risks decades of low growth under U.S. sanctions: Putin adviser
Russia risks being saddled with U.S. sanctions for decades, curbing economic growth and preventing it from regaining its status as a leading economic power, an adviser to President Vladimir Putin said in an interview. Alexei Kudrin told Reuters that the current proposed tightening of sanctions in Washington should not have any serious impact. But he called for a major structural reform program after the 2018 presidential election. He said that was the only way for Russia to return to growth of more than 2 percent a year. Putin has not yet said whether he will run for re-election next year, but is widely expected to do so and to win what would be a fourth term as president. Putin has tasked Kudrin, who has known Putin since they worked together in the St Petersburg Mayor's Office in the 1990s, with devising a strategy to lift Russian economic growth after 2018. Whereas Putin oversaw several years of growth in excess of 5 percent in his early presiden...