Edition: Singapore Indonesia Asia US/UK SAINT PETERSBURG: President Vladimir Putin on Friday (Jun 20) urged officials not to let Russia fall into recession "under any circumstances", as some in his own government warned of a hit to economic growth. Economists have warned for months of a slowdown in the Russian economy, with the country posting its slowest quarterly expansion in two years in the first quarter of 2025. The Kremlin has said this is to be expected after two years of rapid expansion