 The United States, the European Union and many other countries had imposed economic sanction on Russia following its military intervention in Ukraine in early 2014, Russia's annexation of Crimea and Russian assistance to separatists fighting Ukraine in the War in Donbass.Despite the financial crisis, international aid to Russia was not considered likely.Economic sanctions contributed to the decline of the ruble since some Russian oil companies have been prevented from rolling over debt, forcing them to exchange their rubles for U.S. dollars or other foreign currencies on the open market to meet their interest payment obligations on their existing debt.