Russia's Medvedev Says Foreign Firms Will Return to Russian Market in Different Ways

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Foreign companies that have left the Russian market after the start of the Ukraine conflict will return back in different ways, with some of them just waiting for the end of the hostilities and others seeking "approval from the top," Russia's Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said.

"As for the return [of foreign companies to Russia], this process will be different. Some [companies], in my opinion, will return once the special military operation is over, some will run back the very next day. Some will wait for approval from the top," Medvedev said.

There are also some "crazy companies" that claim to have left the Russian market for ideological reasons, Medvedev said, suggesting that Russians use analogues produced by other firms in response.

"Choose between Apple and Android, between various kinds of operating systems. In the end, it will still be to our advantage," he said.

Meanwhile, most goods produced by companies that have left Russia still enter the country through "gray" or parallel imports, Medvedev said. Although such schemes entail "different costs" and sometimes lead to higher prices, this means that foreign firms "are not completely gone," he added.

In February 2022, Russia began a special military operation in Ukraine. In response, Western countries imposed comprehensive sanctions against Moscow, prompting many foreign companies to suspend or downsize operations in Russia.