Russian President Vladimir Putin approved a new government little changed from the previous one, signaling he is sticking to a course that has delivered weak growth and sent relations with the West to post-Cold War lows. Mr. Putin, who was inaugurated last week to a fresh six-year term as president, endorsed a new cabinet presented Friday by longtime ally Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. It includes Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who oversaw military interventions in Ukraine and Syria, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who defended Russia’s actions to foreign governments, and Energy Minister Aleksandr Novak, who reached a landmark deal with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to crimp oil production. The announcement ended speculation that Mr. Putin may appoint a more-liberal figure such as former Finance Minister Aleksei Kudrin to a senior position in order to oversee radical overhauls to spur Russia’s weak economy and improve ties with […]