Trade turnover between Russia, CIS countries above $110 bln in 2025 -- Kremlin aide
- Kremlin reports $110 billion trade volume with CIS partners in 2025.
- First-half 2026 figures show a 12% jump in regional commerce.
- Moscow leaning heavily on regional infrastructure projects to bypass global isolation.
- Integration efforts intensifying despite ongoing geopolitical firestorms.
Brief Summary
The Kremlin is touting a massive expansion in trade with its Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) neighbors, claiming a $110 billion haul for 2025 with an additional 12% growth spurt in early 2026. Aide Yury Ushakov is busy signaling that Russia isn't just surviving the Western freeze-out, but actively building a self-contained economic bloc through aggressive industrial and infrastructure collaboration.
Why This Matters
This shift confirms that the global economy is effectively fracturing into competing spheres of influence. As Russia pivots its entire supply chain toward Central Asia and its immediate neighbors, the reach of Western sanctions is being tested in real-time. You are looking at a future where global markets become increasingly balkanized, potentially leading to higher costs for goods that rely on complex international supply chains and a permanent decoupling of major economic powers.