Will American companies get back into Russia?

Russian President Vladimir Putin has directed his cabinet to prepare for the return of Western companies three years after it invaded Ukraine.

According to the Kyiv School of Economics Institute, 472 foreign firms have exited, and 1,360 have scaled back operations.

President Donald Trump also signaled that the two countries are discussing economic cooperation.

A Russian official said Russia could resume selling its titanium to Boeing again.

Earlier this week, Putin also noted that Russia could offer resources to American partners in joint projects, including mining critical minerals and aluminum extraction and supply to the US to stabilize prices.

US businesses have reportedly lost $324 billion since withdrawing from Russia in 2022, but estimates suggest they only had $52 billion in assets there.

But companies are skeptical
Officials warn that Western businesses may struggle to regain market positions after local replacements took their share.

Corporates are also wary of returning over concerns that US–Russia relations might sour again. Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, McDonald’s and Starbucks are among the several other companies that fully or partially exited Russia since 2022.

Experts believe that while some brands might resume operations, energy companies will likely not enter the country.