MenuHundreds of billions of dollars flowing into Russia from oil and gas sales are fueling Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine, and more. Unbeknownst to some diplomats and other decision-makers, energy export revenues drive the massive geo-economic polarization between East and West, as petro and gas dollars pour into the Russian tech sector.
Russia’s capital—and especially the hi-tech/IT sectors—are the prime beneficiaries of the East-West confrontation. This has significant long-term secondary and tertiary consequences. According to the Russian news agency TASS, in 2023, public and private annual investment inflows into the capital city reached $73.5 billion and a growing. $1.7 billion in high-tech exports were projected for 2023. These geo-economic effects are still working to change the geopolitical landscape and the global balance of power of the 21st century, something many Western policymakers may not be aware of.