Folgen des Ukraine-Kriegs: Wirtschaftliche Beziehungen zu Russland nicht bei Null

Since the onset of the Ukraine war, Germany's economic ties with Russia have deteriorated significantly. As reported by the Federal Statistical Office, German firms imported goods from Russia at a rate of 0.5 billion euros in the first half of 2026, a stark contrast to the 15 billion euros imported in the same period in 2021. The decline is primarily due to the absence of gas and oil imports.

German companies still export goods in a total value of 3.4 billion euros, which is around a quarter of the volume from the first half of 2021. Pharmaceutical products and machine exports saw a decline, while food, feed, and chemical products continued to be exported. There are currently 76 companies in Germany controlled by Russian parent companies, accounting for 0.2% of all foreign companies and generating a turnover of 8.4 billion euros.

The number of German companies operating in Putin's Russia has significantly reduced to 290 in 2024, generating a revenue of 13 billion euros, compared to 481 companies in 2021 with 38 billion euros in revenue. Direct flights to Russia have been banned due to EU sanctions, resulting in a drop from nearly 1 million passengers in the first half of 2019 to just 39,900 passengers.

This has led to an increase in connecting flights via third countries such as Turkey. The conflict has also affected migration from Russia to Germany, with 4,400 Russian citizens leaving in the first half of 2026, compared to 3,800 arrivals. Before the war in 2022, there were 12,700 more immigrants than emigrants. The number of Russian students at German universities has also dropped almost in half to 1,700, compared to the peak in 2014.