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How to Exploit Russia’s Addiction to Western Technology

How to Exploit Russia’s Addiction to Western Technology

After the Soviet Union collapsed, in 1991, Russia became almost entirely reliant on Western technologies. Western technology vendors—including Google, IBM, Microsoft, and Nokia—were initially eager to operate in the Russian market, which brought them billions of dollars in annual profits. For decades, these companies tried to remain neutral, ignoring Russia’s transformation into a militaristic dictatorship, in order to maintain their business. The Kremlin was happy to cooperate with Western vendors as long as they stayed out of politics and continued to reliably supply the required technologies.

But since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in 2022, the landscape has shifted dramatically. “Business as usual” was no longer feasible, and under pressure from Western governments and public opinion, many Western vendors exited the Russian market. Left with few options, Moscow turned to its geopolitical ally, China, for technologies.

But Russia’s attempt to switch from Western to Chinese businesses revealed the impossibility of such

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Russia Promises to ‘Reverse-Engineer’ Captured Western Technology

Russia Promises to ‘Reverse-Engineer’ Captured Western Technology

Moscow will “reverse-engineer” Western technology its forces have captured in Ukraine, according to Russian state media.

“If there is an opportunity to look inside and see if there is something that can be applied to us, well, why not?” Russian President Vladimir Putin told the state-run Russia-1 channel.

It is not clear which technologies the Kremlin leader referred to in his comments, although he did praise Russia’s T-90M Proryv-3 tank, designed to be a “main competitor” to the US Army’s Abrams M1 tank. Washington pledged 31 Abrams to Ukraine earlier this year, and they are expected to arrive in the coming weeks and months.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 27, 2023 in Moscow, Russia. “If there is an opportunity to look inside and see if there is something that can be applied to us, well, why not?” told state-run Russia-1 channel about Western technology captured in Ukraine, state news
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Russia Races to Replace Western Technology to Boost Gas Exports

Russia Races to Replace Western Technology to Boost Gas Exports

Desperate to find new markets for the vast quantities of natural gas it once sent to Europe by pipeline, Russia is on a mission to dramatically increase its ability to export fuel by sea.

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(Bloomberg) — Desperate to find new markets for the vast quantities

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