Russia's central bank held its benchmark interest rate at 14% on Friday, one week before a parliamentary election the Kremlin will watch closely as a gauge of public anxiety and fatigue after 4-1/2 years of war in Ukraine.
The $2.6 trillion economy slowed sharply last year and is expected to grow just above zero in 2026, weighed down by the high key rate, Western sanctions, Ukrainian strikes on economic targets and a strong rouble.
