The Russian market did not collapse after the exit of foreign companies and imposition of western sanctions, Russia's President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday, adding that the restrictions led to the opposite effect.
"As I have already said, and have said more than once, because of sanctions, because of the exist of Western companies, the world did not collapse, on the contrary. Moreover, the opportunities for Russian entrepreneurs have expanded manifold," Putin said during an address to an economic forum.
Russia needs a targeted policy to promote domestic brands, Putin added.
Speaking at the SPIEF 2023 earlier in June, the Russian president noted that Russia did not close doors for anybody, and if foreign companies are willing to return to the country -- they are welcome. However, Russia will "certainly" take into account the peculiarities of the behavior of some of its western partners for the future, Putin added.
On the other hand, the withdrawal of foreign firms from Russia has opened new opportunities for the East to explore the Russian market. In this er