Russian President Vladimir Putin appealed on Monday to overcome the serious difficulties posed by sanctions that deprive Russia of high Western technologies, on which it is highly dependent.
Being aware of the colossal difficulties we face, we will search for new solutions with intensity and intelligence,” he declared during a meeting broadcast on public television, referring to the fact that his country faces an “almost total” blockade in access to Western technologies.
“Today is not just about limitations, but about a Almost total blockade imposed on our country in relation to foreign high-tech products,” he said.
Russia is subject to extensive Western sanctions and numerous foreign companies have left the country in reaction to the military invasion of Ukraine.
Referring to a “huge challenge”, Putin called for the use of available Russian technologies and the development of “new innovative national companies”.
We will not give up,” he assured.
After the offensive in Ukraine, the technology giants (Microsoft, Apple, Google, Adobe, Cisco) withdrew from Russia or suspended at least part of their operations in the country, leaving Russian consumers, companies, administrative services and users without alternatives.
Western supplies also do not provide technical support to their Russian customers. A situation that encompasses various products, Apple phones and computers, Cisco telecommunications systems, mobile application markets or even systems such as Windows.
Immediately, Russia authorized “parallel” imports of products of this type, without the agreement of those who own the intellectual property.
On Thursday, Putin also pointed out that Russian tech giants, such as Yandex or Ozon, face major challenges, whether it is to finance themselves in Western markets or to engage with foreign financial institutions.
It is essential to quickly develop these mechanisms in the Russian financial system, so that fast-growing Russian companies can attract domestic private capital for their development,” Putin said.
The Kremlin has assured that Russia resists the sanctions decided by the West, but its most important effects may only be felt in the coming months or years, depriving the country of new technologies and global logistics and financial chains.
Moscow promises to offset these effects in the medium term by developing Russian alternatives.
At the same time, the crackdown on critics of the Russian offensive in Ukraine and the severing of air links with the West led to the exodus of some tens of thousands of Russians working in the new technology sector, aggravating an already existing deficit. .
According to Putin, and citing official data, in 2024 Russia will register a deficit of one million employees in this sector.
Source: Observadora
