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Russia lost it's economic importance here before we even joined the EU, and it's lost even more of it's importance as a trading partner, because Russia tried to
by skeletal88 9y ago
Russia lost it's economic importance here before we even joined the EU, and it's lost even more of it's importance as a trading partner, because Russia tried to use trade as a weapon. They have repeatedly randomly banned imports of products (mostly food) from Estonia and other countries for made up reasons, then removed the restrictions to repeat that again in some years. Then after a statue was moved they basically stopped all oil exports through Estonian ports, the excuse being an emergency repair that lasted ages on a railroad next to their border with Estonia.
Because of this most people avoid doing business with Russia, because it's just so random. You build relations, start selling something to them and then their state randomly bans the imports of the thing you've been exporting. There's too much risk.
If they were a reliable trading partner then everyone would be happier, and they'd have more soft power.
- cat199 9y ago> trade as a weapon the west doesn't use access to capital as a weapon?
- v_lisivka 9y agoYep, but reasons are clear and not random.
- Feniks 9y agoI struggle to think what you could even trade with Russia besides gas/oil and other natural resources. I'm sure Estonia is hard at work with renewable power sources so Russia will just fall behind even further. One day the Baltic countries won't even need Russian gas.