At a Chelyabinsk meeting focused on national security issues, Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of Russia’s Security Council, asserted that a number of foreign companies still aim to operate within the Russian Federation. He described the stance of the United States and certain Western governments as a decisive obstacle, saying they have effectively blocked these firms from conducting business in Russia despite existing contracts and ongoing projects. Patrushev highlighted that such actions have created a situation where the potential for continued cooperation was there, yet the path forward was blocked by political decisions at a high level.
The security official emphasized Russia’s long standing integration into international technological chains over the last three decades. He argued that the country has established the necessary conditions for mutually beneficial foreign economic cooperation, underscoring the alignment of Russian capabilities with global supply networks. In Patrushev’s view, the Russian economy has built a solid foundation that could support sustained collaboration with foreign partners when political barriers are removed.
Patrushev reiterated that foreign companies were prepared to carry forward their Russia-based initiatives. However, he contended that the leadership in the United States and certain Western countries did not extend the opportunity to collaborate, even when contracts remained in force. This, he claimed, limited the ability of foreign enterprises to fulfill their commitments and participate in joint projects that had already been agreed upon with Russian counterparts.
In his remarks, Patrushev also attributed a direct role to Washington in the Ukraine situation, arguing that the United States has positioned itself as a participant in the conflict. He asserted that the United States pursues the objective of defeating Moscow and intends to prolong the confrontation. The statements reflect a perspective that frames Western policy as a central driver of the current security and economic dynamics discussed at the meeting. Marked attribution: TASS reported Patrushev’s remarks.