Inflation 'worrying' but Russian economy 'stable': Putin

MOSCOW, Dec 19 (AFP): Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday acknowledged concerns over high inflation, but insisted the economy was "stable" in the face of external threats.
Russia's central bank is set to hike interest rates on Friday in its latest attempt to deal with the pace of price rises amid the military offensive on Ukraine.
"With the economy as a whole, the situation in Russia is stable, despite external threats," Putin said at a televised end-of-year press conference.
However, he added: "Inflation is a worrying signal."