News

Foreign companies are enquiring about the criteria for resuming operations in Russia, Alexander Shokhin, head of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, told RIA Novosti.

"They are certainly interested in the conditions for a return. A number of criteria were set out long ago — four years back," Shokhin said.

He suggested that companies which had pivoted from civilian to defence production would face particular scrutiny. "For example, if a company switched from making cars to making tanks — if it started producing guns instead of butter, so to speak — then it would probably be treated differently," he said.

Shokhin added that foreign headquarters are also concerned about the fate of their Russian subsidiaries, and specifically whether they could be placed under temporary management. "There is a relevant presidential decree that sets out the basic criteria. It is also clear that if a parent company finances the Ukrainian armed forces or imposes restrictions against Russia, then, on national security grounds, transferring it to temporary management is entirely possible," he said.

The temporary management regime has also drawn criticism from foreign business representatives. In April 2026, Vladimir Efremov, a board member of AmCham Russia, said that senior executives of foreign companies still operating in Russia did not know whether their businesses were potential candidates for temporary management, describing the situation as "highly nervous". Matthias Schepp, chairman of the board of the Russian-German Foreign Trade Chamber, said that if a company had firmly decided to continue operating in Russia and then suddenly found itself placed under temporary management, it would be a troubling signal for the investment climate.

A third concern raised by foreign businesses relates to the salaries of highly qualified specialists. In February 2026, Russia's Ministry of Finance proposed setting a minimum monthly salary for most foreigners employed as highly qualified specialists at 717,000 rubles (approximately $10,000 at the current exchange rate), up sharply from the existing threshold of 750,000 rubles per quarter, or 250,000 rubles per month. "Foreign businesses say they are prepared to index salaries, but not to that level," Shokhin said.

Russia's Chamber of Commerce and Industry had warned that such a significant increase in the threshold could raise company costs, prompt a review of staffing decisions and reduce the ability to attract foreign specialists with unique expertise.