Ruble plunges after CIA director’s Moscow visit

The ruble slid sharply after CIA Director John Ratcliffe's visit to Moscow, with the euro topping 100 rubles for the first time since March and the dollar hitting an 85.8-ruble high not seen in five months, The Moscow Times reported. The Chinese yuan also reached an 18-month high against the ruble. The currency has now lost more than 20 percent of its value since late May.

Russian experts said initial hopes that Ratcliffe's visit signaled renewed US-Russia contact quickly curdled into disappointment. The Wall Street Journal reported the visit was actually meant to warn Russia against attacking NATO countries. Sanctions-driven pressure continues separately, with major exporters increasingly keeping revenue overseas rather than selling foreign currency into Russian markets.

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