▁$ 4 0 0 bn . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁the ▁Organ ized ▁Crime ▁and ▁Cor ruption ▁Report ing ▁Project ▁named ▁Put in ▁their ▁Person ▁of ▁the ▁Year ▁Award ▁for ▁further ing ▁cor ruption ▁and ▁organized ▁crime . ▁ ▁As ▁noted ▁by ▁Russian ▁journal ists ▁after ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁president ial ▁inaug uration , ▁Put in ▁has ▁since ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁repeatedly ▁predicted ▁that ▁Russia ▁will ▁become ▁" one ▁of ▁the ▁world ' s ▁fifth ▁largest ▁econom ies " ▁roughly ▁within ▁ 1 0 ▁years ▁from ▁that ▁date ; ▁thus ▁far ▁this ▁target ▁has ▁not ▁been ▁achieved . ▁▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁financial ▁crisis ▁and ▁economic ▁dow nt urn ▁ ▁The ▁on going ▁financial ▁crisis ▁began ▁in ▁the ▁second ▁half ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁when ▁the ▁Russian ▁rub le ▁col lapsed ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁decl ine ▁in ▁the ▁price ▁of ▁oil ▁and ▁international ▁san ctions ▁against ▁Russia . ▁These ▁events ▁in ▁turn ▁led ▁to ▁loss ▁of ▁invest or ▁confidence ▁and ▁capital ▁flight . ▁Though ▁it ▁has ▁also ▁been ▁argued ▁that ▁the ▁san ctions ▁had ▁little ▁to ▁no ▁effect ▁on ▁Russia ' s ▁economy . ▁ ▁Energy , ▁trade , ▁and ▁fin ance ▁agre ements ▁with ▁China ▁worth ▁$ 2 5   b ill ion ▁were ▁signed ▁in ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁in ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁compens ate ▁for ▁international ▁san ctions . ▁The ▁following ▁year , ▁a ▁$ 4 0 0   b ill ion ▁ 3 0 -