Russia's Ukraine actions have made its economy vulnerable - PM's spokesman

LONDON (Reuters) - Russia's isolation over its actions in Ukraine have made it more vulnerable to global economic shocks, British Prime Minister David Cameron's spokesman said on Tuesday.

A fall in oil prices by almost a half since June has put severe strain on Russia's oil-dependent economy, with a collapse in the rouble and Russian stocks adding to the pressure Western sanctions are placing on President Vladimir Putin.

"The fall in the global price for oil is a global phenomenon but ... Russia has made itself more vulnerable to economic shocks ... as a result of the relative isolation through sanctions that it has faced because of events in Ukraine," Cameron's spokesman told reporters.

"If Russia continues to choose not to take the path of de-escalation it will continue to face consequences."

(Reporting by Kylie MacLellan; editing by Stephen Addison)