MOSCOW, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Russia's economy will continue to slow down in the first half of 2026, Economy Minister Maxim Reshetnikov was quoted as saying on Thursday.

There is still room for monetary policy easing, Interfax cited him as saying.

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Of 24 analysts polled by Reuters, 16 expect that the central bank will keep the key rate at 16% when it meets on Friday, while eight predict a 50-basis-point cut to 15.5%.

(This story has been corrected to change the minister's first name to Maxim in paragraph 1)

https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/russias-economy-minister-delays-recovery-outlook-interfax-reports-2026-02-12/