Russian Trade Surplus Surges Amid Rising Tensions

From zerohedge.com

Amid rising tensions between Russia, Ukraine and the West, Russia’s oil and gas exports rebounded sharply in 2021. According to the Bank of Russia, crude oil exports climbed to $32 billion in the fourth quarter of 2021, the highest level since 2014. As a result of surging energy prices, Statista's Felix Richter notes that the country’s total oil and gas exports, including oil products and liquified natural gas, exceeded $240 billion last year, up 60 percent from $150 billion in 2020, when energy prices had slumped at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. According to figures from the Russian Finance Ministry cited ... (full story)