Russia prepares for the return of foreign companies - Financial Times.

The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, has instructed the government to create conditions for the possible return of Western companies that previously left the country's market. This is reported by the Financial Times.

According to Putin, Russian companies must have advantages over foreign competitors that may return after the economic situation changes. The president emphasized the need to protect domestic companies after a long period of sanctions pressure from the West.

According to the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE), 472 foreign companies have completely left the Russian market since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, while 1360 companies have significantly reduced their presence in the country.

Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian National Wealth Fund, stated that American companies suffered losses of $324 billion due to their exit from Russia. However, KSE analysts argue that the total value of American companies' assets in Russia was only $52 billion, and profits in the following years did not exceed $36 billion.

The First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Denis Manturov, stated that detailed negotiations on this issue are unlikely to take place until Western countries lift sanctions.

The Kremlin conceals the real negative impact of the war in Ukraine on the Russian economy. 'The Kremlin continues to conduct an information campaign aimed at both domestic and international audiences to hide the extent of the negative impact of the prolonged war of Russia against Ukraine on the Russian economy,' ISW reported.