Russia's War Against Ukraine
OP-ED
Economist: Back to the lean years
A woman walks under a board listing foreign currency rates against the Russian ruble outside an exchange office in central Moscow, on Dec. 17, 2014.
As the rouble fell off a cliff over the past two days, a new skit appeared on Russian state television. A popular talk-show host asks his iPhone's voice-recognition app, "Where shall I go on holidays next year?" "This year - nowhere," answers the app, dubbed "OK Rouble". "OK Rouble, what will the exchange rate be tomorrow?" continues the host. "Here are five recipes for making porridge," the app responds. Even as Russians were sharing the skit on social networks, Apple suspended its online store in Russia due to the rouble's volatility.
