Vladimir Putin threatened to crack down on speculators against the rouble as he called on Russia to put its economic house in order to fight what he called an attempt by outside enemies to bring the country to its knees.
“We have asked the central bank to take measures to make sure that speculators can no longer take advantage,” Russia’s president said in a speech yesterday. “We know who those people are, and we have the means to rein them in. It’s time to use these instruments.”
Some of the most active players against the Russian currency have been the country’s own banks. But Mr Putin’s warning came as part of a rallying cry to a nation besieged by hostile western countries.