Pedestrians walk past a mannequin in a window of a fashion store in Tverskaya street in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, March 6, 2024. The economy’s resilience in the face of bruising Western sanctions is a major factor behind President Vladimir Putin’s grip on power in Russia. FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures while speaking at a news conference following a meeting of the State Council at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia on Dec. 22, 2022.
“Prices have gone up — if I used to buy three items for a certain price, now I buy one,” she said, but added, “Go look for Russian products, the shops with Russian goods.” So-called parallel imports via third countries such as Georgia, Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan have allowed Russians with money to keep buying Western products — from sneakers to mobile phones and cars — from companies that no longer do business in Russia, usually for a significant markup.Apple left, but an iPhone 15 Pro Max with 512 gigabytes sells for the ruble equivalent of $1,950 on Russia’s Wildberries retail site, about what the phone sells for in Germany.
“So it is still important that there is this genuine support, even though there is no chance at all for the voters to change who is in office,” he said. The central bank has been fighting price spikes by raising interest rates to 16%. The government has supported the Russian currency by requiring exporters to changeAnd a 6-month ban on gasoline exports from March 1 will help keep fuel prices down in Russia.