The White House is sure that the fall of the ruble was provoked by the threat of new sanctions from the United States.
A senior US administration official during a telephone briefing said that the fall of the ruble is associated with the threat of new sanctions against Russia. This indicates their significance in the event of an escalation of the situation on the border with Ukraine, he said.
The words of an unnamed official are quoted by RIA Novosti. According to him, the threat of default hung over Russia.
On Monday, the ruble continued to fall, which has been outlined in the last week. The dollar exchange rate exceeded 79 rubles, and the euro settled above 89 rubles. The Bank of Russia announced the suspension of operations for the purchase of foreign currency on the market.