Please join the Fletcher Eurasia Club for a lunch seminar with economist Janis Kluge. He will discuss the current state and prospects of the Russian economy, the effects of sanctions, the arms production boom, and the economic shift to China since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Russian economy has proven more resilient than most economists predicted after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. Russia’s GDP has recovered to pre-sanctions levels, and unemployment is at historic lows. Buoyed by high oil prices, the Russian government has been able to dramatically increase war spending, leading to a boom in the military industry that is offsetting the damage from sanctions elsewhere. At the same time, Russian companies have been able to repair supply chains by turning to non-Western partners. Trade with China, in particular, has become a crucial lifeline for the Russian economy. How sustainable is Russia’s economic resilience? How long can the Kremlin continue to finance its war against Ukraine? What are the main risks to Russia’s economy going forward?

We encourage you to read Kluge’s analyses of Russia’s economic resilience for The Moscow Times, Russia becoming a true petrostate under sanctions for the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Russia-China economic cooperation for the Italian Institute for International Political Studies, and Russia’s war budget for Riddle. The Eurasia Club weekly lunch seminar series engages with students, faculty, staff, and researchers to foster a better understanding of the region among members of the Fletcher community. Members of the wider Tufts community are also welcome to attend. Lunch will be served.

Janis Kluge is Deputy Head of the Eastern Europe and Eurasia Division at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP Berlin). He joined SWP in 2017 after receiving his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Witten/Herdecke, Germany. At SWP, he advises the German government and the Bundestag on foreign policy towards Russia and the design of sanctions. His research focuses on the Russian economy, in particular the impact of Western sanctions, Russia’s government budget and Russia-China economic relations. His latest publications are on the resilience of Putin’s system after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s war budget, and the transformation of Russia-China economic relations. Previously, he worked on external dependencies of Russia’s tech sector, economic elites, and Russia’s Arctic policy.