Russia 

Reports of international experts warn of a slump in investments, but despite the sanctions, foreign companies in Russia are expanding or beginning new projects. It is true, the inflow of capital is lower, but it has not dried up.

The Russian embargo on the Polish food imports will result in excess supply arising on the domestic food market. The lower demand in Russia will not be compensated by consumption in Poland. The goods exported to Russia belong to the group of goods the real consumption of which has been dropping in Poland in recent years.

Public-private partnership investment projects are still few and far between in Poland, and most tenders called for projects to be launched under this formula end up in a fiasco. Without incentive from the government and without some fairly uncomplicated changes to legislation, things are going to stay this way.

Despite very high global oil prices, Russia has entered a period of considerable economic slowdown. The possibility of continuing economic growth relying on natural resource-based export, with increasing involvement of the state, has worn out. Yet, Russia is unprepared for the new situation, it has no ideas for necessary changes and steering its economy out of the woods.

"Poland is in a very difficult situation in terms of its relations with neighbors, but all the disagreements between the country and its neighbors should not affect their economic relations. With only one exception: Russia. Money that comes from Russia has to be controlled and not every Russian investment should be allowed", Edward Lucas, a longtime correspondent from Central and Eastern Europe for The Economist, says.

William Browder, a grandson of the former General Secretary of the Communist Party USA, became one of the biggest foreign investors in Russia at the end of the 1990s. Mr. Browder, CEO of Hermitage Capital, who was initially an avid follower of Vladimir Putin and a critic of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, suddenly became public enemy No. 1. In 2006 he was expulsed from Russia on the claim that he poses a threat to national security. Soon afterwards some corrupted officials illegally seized his company. The company’s lawyer, Sergey Magnitsky, who exposed the scheme, was jailed and afterwards died in prison in mysterious circumstances. Mr. Browder did not lay down his weapons and started lobbying against corrupted Russian officials. Owing to his efforts, contrary to the suggestions of the Obama administration, in November 2012 the US Congress passed the so-called Magnitsky Act – banning several dozen individuals responsible for the lawyer’s death from entering the USA and freezing their bank accounts.