In the past six months, a number of Western companies have left Russia. The reason is the war in Ukraine and the sanctions that a number of countries have introduced. Russians who want to buy Western goods have had to look for other options. More and more people are now traveling to neighboring Belarus, writes The Moscow Times. This has become so popular that some travel agencies arrange their own shopping trips to Minsk, writes the newspaper. In the Belarusian capital, the malls are full of Western goods. Both the clothing chain Zara and brands such as Calvin Klein, Levis and Adidas are sold as usual. – Everything works there, there are no sanctions, says Jelena Shitilova of the Russian travel company Familiy Travel to the newspaper. A Russian travel agency can also say that sales of trips to Belarus have increased by 60 per cent in August. Several companies have withdrawn from Russia as a result of the war in Ukraine. This photo is from a shopping mall in Moscow in April where the Japanese clothing chain Uniqlo has since closed its doors. Photo: KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP Closes the borders to Russian tourists The war has made it increasingly difficult for Russians to travel abroad. In February, the EU closed its airspace to Russian aircraft. In September, the agreement that has made it easier for Russians to get visas was cancelled. This week, the neighboring countries of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia also closed their borders to Russian tourists. Belarus has thus become a much more relevant destination for Russian tourists who want to holiday and shop. Several Russian newspapers are now asking whether Belarus is about to become the Russians’ favorite shopping destination. An analyst tells the Russian newspaper Kommersant that Minsk and the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana, are well positioned to become a popular travel destination. Here, Russian tourists already account for more than 30 percent of trade. For many Russians, it is also easy to make the trip to Minsk. Between Moscow and Minsk there are several daily train departures. In recent months, several new flight routes have also been opened between Minsk and Russian cities. Many also choose a car. A travel operator told a Russian industry organization this summer about many Russian-registered cars in Minsk and full hotels. Sanctions also affect Belarus Although the shopping centers in Minsk are full of Western goods, some companies have withdrawn from the country. The reason is that the Belarusian president, Aleksandr Lukashenko, is Putin’s close ally. Vladimir Putin and Aleksandr Lukashenko are close allies. The war in Ukraine has also led to strict sanctions against Belarus. Photo: Maxim Blinov / AP When Russian forces moved into Ukraine on February 24, it also happened from Belarusian territory. This has led to several of the international sanctions against Russia also affecting Belarus. In March, IKEA and the clothing chain H&M closed their stores in Russia and Belarus. Last weekend, H&M opened its store in Minsk one last time to sell its goods, writes the charter website. 97. The clothing chain is now pulling out of the country entirely.
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Russians travel to Minsk in Belarus to buy Western brands – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
