This year not even Barinov can spot an escape from the rubble of an economy mired in its longest recession in two decades,\u00a0Bloomberg Markets<\/em>\u00a0magazine reports in its forthcoming issue. Sanctions imposed by the U.S. and the European Union to punish President Vladimir Putin for meddling in Ukraine remain a drag on growth. And oil\u2019s decline to a 13-year low has been catastrophic for Russia, where almost 50 percent of government revenue comes from crude and natural gas. \u201cWith oil, you rely on a very volatile factor,\u201d says Barinov, who oversees about $2.6 billion in assets. So as far as he\u2019s concerned, \u201call bets are off.\u201d<\/p>\n A persistent glut in crude supply could push prices to as low as $16 a barrel this year, according to former Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin. Kudrin won plaudits overseas for his stewardship of Russia\u2019s finances during Putin\u2019s first decade in power. As the current crisis deepened, Bloomberg News reported in December, he was in discussions about\u00a0a possible return to government. (He declined to comment on that.) A Putin ally, Kudrin remains negative about Russia\u2019s prospects. \u201cOver the next year to 18 months,\u201d he says, \u201cRussia will suffer major economic difficulties.\u201d<\/p>\n