President Trump’s most recent threat – to slap Russia’s economic trade partners with prohibitive tariffs in a bid to push through war negotiations with Ukraine – has returned to the fore discussions about the durability of Russia’s economy. Last month’s annual St Petersburg Economic Forum (SPIEF) epitomised some of the fractures in Russia’s elite over the financial trajectory of the country. SPIEF is designed to showcase the very best of Russia’s investment potential – if in previous years this had been a platform for foreign investors to identify new opportunities, this year it seemed to point to a disconnect between President Putin and his ministers. But other problems tangential to the war – which were not discussed at SPIEF – centre around Russia’s ability to support and stimulate those territories of Ukraine that it has seized, to avoid them becoming a further and long-term drain on its resources.
Russia’s Finances Beyond War – Supporting the Occupied Regions | Royal United Services Institute
