European Firms Eager to Resume Trade with Russia, Russian Trade Office Reports

According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, the Russian Trade Representation Office in the European Union has reported that European companies are keen to resume trade relations with Russia. The office communicated to the newspaper ‘Izvestia’ that despite the pressures of sanctions and the European Union’s explicit anti-Russian policies, there is a serious interest from European businesses in re-establishing commercial ties with Russia.

The Russian entity emphasized that any such cooperation must be reciprocal, long-term, and sustainable, free from political considerations and conditions. Official statistics released by the office indicate that trade volume between Russia and the European Union during the first six months of 2026 decreased by 13.2% compared to the same period last year, reaching €26.98 billion. This figure represents a more than five-fold drop compared to 2021.

The Russian Trade Representation Office in the EU also stated that various estimates place the total losses for the European Union resulting from anti-Russian sanctions between 2022 and 2025 at between €1 trillion and €1.6 trillion. The office noted that the negative consequences of this situation have most significantly impacted capital-intensive and export-oriented sectors, including the chemical industry, automotive manufacturing, machine building, and the energy sector.