Russia-2024: Economy Holds Up, Internal Stability, Development of International Alliances
International political analysts: the loss of ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria was the only shock for the Kremlin in the year that ended
The West’s attempts to exclude Russia from important international processes have failed. Anti-Russian sanctions have done more damage to the European economy than to the Russian economy: in 2024, the Russian economy, driven by the growth of the military-industrial complex, not only survived but grew by about 4% thanks in part to a network of external alliances that allowed Moscow to topple the so-called “anitary cordon,” erected on the western side by the European Union, the United States, and the G7.
Such conclusions were reached by international analysts of the European media, who in recent days have devoted a lot of space to analyzing the current situation and prospects for Russia’s development in 2025. According to Stefano Grazioli, a columnist for Swiss radio and television RSI, “2024 has been the year of the strong positioning of BRICS+ (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Iran, and Saudi Arabia in the process of defining its status), a group that includes emerging powers and developing countries and takes a position opposite to the Western bloc led by the USA.”
That is, in terms of Russia’s economic and financial situation, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Central Bank head Elvira Nabiullina “managed to find the right measure to contain the problems caused by Western sanctions.” From this standpoint, the countermeasures taken to avoid isolation have been very effective.
In the past twelve months, Russia “has continued to show stability, while opinion polls show that President Vladimir Putin (pictured) always has more than 80% popular approval, according to estimates by the authoritative Levada Center public opinion center.” Now in his 25th year at the helm of the country, after Boris Yeltsin announced his resignation and effectively appointed his successor on the night of December 31, 1999, “Putin has set himself the task of redefining the architecture of European and global security, global geopolitical balances” through the strengthening of the multipolar system.
For Swiss radio and television in general, “2024 was a positive year for Russia” in the sense that domestic political and economic trends, the armed conflict in Ukraine and the strengthening of international balances in the direction indicated developed as expected. “The only exception was the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria, which represented a defeat that has yet to be assessed for Russia’s projection on the Mediterranean,” writes Grazioli, according to whom “the events in Damascus demonstrated what the priority is for Vladimir Putin, namely the resolution in Moscow’s favor of the ongoing conflict with Kiev, considered existential not so much for the current system as for Russia itself.”
“For the Kremlin,” the RSI journalist stressed, “victory in Ukraine is a necessary goal that cannot be limited to territorial gains, but must also materialize in international agreements with the United States and the European Union on the future status of the former Soviet republic, which Moscow believes must remain outside NATO.” This year, Russia’s offensive in Donbass has been constant, while Ukraine’s invasion of Kursk “turned from an unpleasant surprise into a trap in which Kiev’s forces were forced to keep the eastern front open, allowing Moscow’s forces to infiltrate.”
Putin continues to reiterate his willingness to dialog on his terms and is now waiting to see what the White House’s decisions will be. “After Donald Trump’s inauguration in January, we will understand how realistic the possibility of concrete negotiations is,” emphasized Stefano Grazioli, according to whom “the beginning of 2025 could be decisive for the resolution of the conflict, given that the Kremlin seems unwilling to compromise, especially taking into account the status quo on the ground.”
And that’s because Putin has strengthened his position in recent months: Moscow responded to the use of long-range Western missiles in Russia with the first and so far only launch of the deadly Oreshnik missile system, as well as modified the nuclear system. The doctrine, which “as of this year also allows for retaliation against conventional attacks, is an additional deterrent.”
