Russia has never pressured foreign companies to leave the country amid Western sanctions and most of them have stayed behind - RT quoted President Vladimir Putin as saying at the Russia Calling investment forum! in Moscow on December 4.
Mr. Putin noted that despite political pressure from their governments, many American and Western European companies continue to operate in Russia.
"We have never pressured anyone to leave our market. Half of those companies continue to operate in Russia as before the sanctions. Some have transferred operations to local governments under their control and only about a quarter of those have left or are in the process of leaving the country's economy," Putin said.
According to the Kremlin leader, the severance of relations with Russia plays a key role in the economic problems that EU countries are facing. He explained that the reason was the loss of a stable supply of Russian energy at reasonable prices, as well as opportunities to sell products and provide components for the Russian market and use logistics routes.
The EU also lost the opportunity to use its currency for payments, which significantly reduced profits in the bloc's economy.
"In particular, big companies in the EU are closing... other companies are suffering losses. The production of glass, chemicals, fertilizers and agriculture is suffering serious losses because... they have lost the Russian market," Putin pointed out.
The Russian president stressed that the German economy in particular has suffered the strongest blow due to the sanctions imposed on Russia. Most of the businesses are closing due to a lack of Russian energy and raw materials, affecting the country's most important economic sector - the automobile industry, according to the Russian president.
Meanwhile, Mr. Putin said that Western companies are provided with a much better business environment in Russia than Russian businesses typically receive in the West. Western businesses, especially German businesses, still enjoy favorable operating conditions in Russia.
Today, everything from the East is better than from the West. Look at the conditions being created for the German economy in Russia. We have had a very good relationship with Germany for decades, we know each other very well, the president said.
However, many Western countries have shown themselves to be unreliable partners, especially since 2022, when the conflicts between Russia and Ukraine turned to armed confrontation.
You know that in 2022, our businessmen, companies and entire industries faced serious challenges due to the actions of some countries, or more precisely, their ruling elite, Putin noted.
These countries have proven to be unreliable partners, he explained, and as a result, many supply chains and business relationships built over decades have been threatened or even completely destroyed.
However, "Our doors are always open," the president told those attending the forum.
