As you know, the dollar exchange rate approached the May price level. On the morning of December 20, the US currency soared to 69.55 rubles at the Moscow Interbank Currency Exchange. Later there was a correction, by noon one dollar cost about 69 rubles.
Doctor of Economics, chief researcher at the Institute of Economics of the Russian Academy of Sciences Igor Nikolaev explained in an interview with Sputnik radio that the fall of the ruble against the dollar is due to oil and gas sanctions against Russia.
“We are talking about the most serious sanctions against oil and gas. All this affects what is happening with the ruble, because the key export item is fuel supplies, and they are declining. For the ruble, this situation is negative. It will weaken, because the currency will not come to Russia on the same scale as before. Yes, this trend will continue.
Nikolaev believes that the dollar exchange rate will reach 70 rubles in the near future, and then the mark of 75 rubles will also appear on the horizon:
“We live in conditions of such uncertainty that it is inexpedient to predict any future. I think that 70 rubles per dollar is the very near future. Will it reach 75 rubles per dollar? I think it's more than likely next year. Of course, there is still a possibility that this will happen this year, but here it is not so big.”