system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: What is happening to Russia's economy? Is this due, in part, to sanctions imposed by the west and/how will it effect the situation in the Ukraine?

Has Russia's economy being going south for a while or has the economic sanctions place upon Russia earlier this year finally starting to bite?

With Russia entering recession, how will this effect it's already strained relations with the EU and the US?
gpt
Saudi Arabia has drastically lowered the cost of their oil.  By doing so, they are putting "the squeeze" on Russia, and other major oil producers to either do the same, or lose profit.  Russia, for the most part, is the primary oil provider to Europe.  That is one of the reasons why the EU is always too timid to sanction Russia harshly.  With Saudi Arabia's oil prices now being so low, parts of Europe are now purchasing their oil and not Russia's.  Because Russia's primary export is oil, this is starting to cripple the ruble.