Foreign Trade Relations of the Russian Federation and the European Union in 2001–2020: Main Trends

The article analyzes the shifts observed in the foreign trade of the Russian Federation and the European Union during the first two decades of the 21st century. The period under review in the system of the world economy and international commodity exchange was characterized by the manifestation of various troubles and conflicts. However, the most significant challenge was the widespread move of a new viral infection in 2020, which caused crisis phenomena in the world economy against the background of retaliatory prohibitive and restrictive measures. This could not but have a negative impact on the dynamics of the world economy and international trade, including foreign trade relations in general ones of its largest subjects – the European Union and Russia. Both sides also suffered losses in mutual trade, although until recently (until 2014) they were considered not only geographically close and traditional, but even irreplaceable partners. The reasons for such a noticeable cooling in the bilateral relations between the EU and the RF that caused a negative assessment of the expert community were the sanctions counteractions initiated by the European Union after the Crimean spring and supported by a number of western countries. Moreover, the EU has shown very dubious persistence over the past seven years in extending and expanding trade and economic sanctions against Russia, which was forced to take asymmetric measures. The author presents the latest official statistical materials, his own calculated data, which are being introduced into the domestic scientific circulation for the first time.