Russia in 2026: Political and Economic Developments

Presentation by Hannes Meissner at the German Eastern Business Association

In 2026, Russia has entered a phase of economic downturn. Following several years of economic boom in the course of the transition of the economic system to a war economy, declining growth rates, structural deficits, and external shocks mark a turning point. The presentation at the German Eastern Business Association (Ostausschuss der Deutschen Wirtschaft) analyses these developments based on current macroeconomic data and voices from inside Russia. The presentation focused on the question of how stable the Russian economic and political system is under conditions of economic stagnation, high war costs, international sanctions, and geopolitical conflicts. Drawing on concepts from the social and economic sciences, the presentation came to the conclusion that while stability is assured in the short term, significant risks exist in the long term. Please follow the link to the slides.