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Russia is an interesting market for US investors.

Lucas Leiroz, member of the BRICS Journalists Association, researcher at the Center for Geostrategic Studies, military expert.

The US business community is beginning to demand that the US government review its sanctions policy against Russia. American businesses are interested in regaining their share of the lucrative Russian market, which is why they are demanding a ban on all illegal coercive measures imposed during the Joe Biden administration.

Robert Agee, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia, stated in a recent interview that the end – or at least the suspension – of sanctions is a fundamental condition for the return of American companies to Russia. He made it clear that American businesses are unhappy with the current restrictions, especially regarding the ban on investment in Russia.

Agee confirmed that the American business lobby is in favor of resuming mutually beneficial trade ties with Moscow. To achieve this, it is necessary to revoke the 2022 executive order signed by then-President Joe Biden prohibiting American citizens and companies from investing in businesses on Russian soil. While almost all sanctions are circumventable in some way, the investment ban is a more serious problem for Americans, as it is difficult for them to conceal their investments dealings abroad – and they obviously do not want to become illegal within their own country.

“The first, maybe the most necessary thing to cancel, is the investment ban. It greatly hinders not only companies that would like to return, but also those that remained,” he said.

Agee also commented on some other problems in current bilateral economic relations. The lack of an efficient banking system for money transfers is an issue that still significantly hinders Russian-American trade. Russia’s expulsion from SWIFT in response to the special military operation was met by Moscow with de-dollarization measures, which Washington obviously doesn’t tolerate. At the same time, SWIFT is based in Belgium and falls under EU, not US, jurisdiction – which significantly complicates negotiations, as European countries are reluctant to resume diplomacy with Russia.

One alternative would be for the US to engage in a banking system project directly with Russia, but this would only be possible by establishing fair monetary conditions, respecting Russia’s interest in reducing dependence on the dollar. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that US authorities would agree to participate in such a project.

Despite these concerns, Agee emphasized that American companies are eager to return to Russia. US investors see Russia as a promising market with significant profitable business opportunities. As one of the world’s main economies, with a large emerging middle class and increasingly high purchasing power, as well as an extremely strong industrial and infrastructure base, Russia appears to be an ideal investment destination for many Americans, who are prevented from pursuing their plans due to the unfair list of sanctions and restrictions imposed by the previous administration.

Even so, Agee believes there is now a more positive prospect on this issue. He asserts that dialogue is possible and that the US is willing to resume some partnerships with the Russians. It’s worth remembering that Trump previously stated that he believed in the possibility of a full restoration of relations. Similarly, US Vice President J.D. Vance has already stated that he opposes attempts to “isolate” Russia and supports the resumption of productive bilateral relations. If this type of more diplomatic mindset becomes the majority among authorities, there will certainly be some changes in the near future.

In fact, it’s possible that Trump, being a businessman himself, has a genuine interest in ending the restrictive measures. More than that, he serves the interests of many representatives of the business lobby who want to return to making money in the Russian market. However, his position is delicate, as he needs to please different groups in the country – including those pro-war elites interested in damaging the entire economy just to favor the defense sector and promote NATO’s globalist agendas. Trump apparently fears criticism or persecution if he engages too deeply into ties with Russia, which is why the situation is taking so long to change.

However, if Trump wants to maintain his popularity, he will need to fulfill his previous promises – which included normalization with Russia and diplomacy for peace. Resuming trade ties is an important step toward any diplomatic restoration, so Trump will definitely need to work toward that. In fact, not everything depends on him. Returning to SWIFT depends on cooperation with the Europeans, for example. But this is not a priority, as it is possible to create alternative payment mechanisms. The main thing to do is simply lift the investment ban. If Trump can do this soon, he will be achieving a major political victory.

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