President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia said on Dec. 18 that the crisis in the nation's currency, the ruble, and the country's broader economic woes had been provoked by outside forces, but that his government was taking adequate steps to confront them.
Russia's War Against Ukraine
New York Times: Putin blames economic woes on outside forces (VIDEO)
Russia's President Vladimir Putin is seen through a video camera's viewfinder, as he speaks during his annual press conference in Moscow on December 18, 2014.
