Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev says the government should not rush to implement rapid structural reforms, saying this may weigh heavily on Russia's recession-battered economy and population.
"We will not conduct reforms at the expense of people," Medvedev told the lower chamber of parliament, the State Duma, on April 19. "Both people and the economy can bear only a certain speed and depth of reforms."
Russia's economy has been hit hard by the collapse in global oil prices and from Western economic sanctions imposed on Moscow over its role in the Ukraine conflict.
But Medvedev said the government had no plans to resort to printing money to help bridge the country’s budget shortfall.
He added that there would be no amendments to the state budget during the spring session of the parliament.