The Foundation of Niilo Helander has awarded a grant for a research group at the Pan-European Institute. The research project examines Russia's changing role in the global economy, and this shifts significance for Finland.
Professor Kari Liuhto and Project Researcher Sergei Gladkov have been awarded a grant for a research project called Russia's Changing Role in the Global Economy: What Does the Change Mean for Finland? The research project focuses on examining how Russia's role in the global economy has changed since the start of a full-scale war in Ukraine in February 2022.
Russia's belligerent foreign policy has led the West to impose extensive economic sanctions on Russia. This has led to a change in Russia's role in the global economy. Previously, Russia supplied energy and other resources mainly to the European Union. However, after the implementation of economic sanctions, China has become Russia's most important trading partner.
Notably, the geopolitical changes have significantly reshaped Finland's trading structures since Russia has traditionally been one of Finland's most significant export markets. The research project, therefore, holds relevance as it strives to bolster Finland's readiness for a potential division of the global economy into two mutually hostile blocks.