Western businesses want to return to Russian market – Putin

Many firms completely disregarded their losses when they left the country, the president has said

Western companies that pulled out of Russia after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict amid the imposition of unprecedented sanctions are now looking to return, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.

Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok, in Russia’s Far East, on Friday, Putin remarked that in 2022, “many European companies left at a loss to themselves due to ‘political reasons’.”  

“ But we know… that many are eagerly waiting for all these political restrictions to be lifted, and at any moment they would like to come back,” Putin said.

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