Russia has reoriented 87% of its trade in physical terms towards non-Western countries compared to around 40% five to six years ago, Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk stated on December 24.

Overchuk, Russia's technocratic Deputy Prime Minister since January 2020, embodies Moscow's eastward pivot, steering Eurasian integration, BRICS expansion, and trade corridors that bypass Western sanctions amid the Ukraine war and Red Sea tensions. Now overseeing CIS affairs, G20 coordination, and international mega-events, he champions the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), while pushing the so-called Northern Sea Route for Arctic trade with Asia, irking the US and Canada.

In his early-morning interview, he stressed that an economic shift was well underway regarding Moscow's direction, which has become increasingly evident in outreach and visa offers to countries like India, which is set to send up to 72,000 workers to the country in 2026. 

"There is a shift of the economy towards the east, towards the Global South, towards developing markets. Over the past five to six years our economy has turned towards the east," the official said.

"And today around 87% of our trade in physical terms is carried out with non-Western countries," Overchuk stated in an interview with Rossiya 24 television channel.

Russian businesses have adapted and reoriented themselves, alongside the country's transport system, logistics and finance, he noted.

"Today we really find ourselves in completely new conditions and feel quite comfortable because we work with those partners who want to work with us," he noted.

The economic weight of Western countries is declining, which is becoming understood in the Global South and the East, the official said.

“Everyone understands this situation, analyses what is happening in the world, and understands that the economic weight of Western countries is declining.”

They understand that a new economy, new relationships, and new connections are emerging. They understand the role of Eurasia in this economy and Russia's role in this economy," he noted.

Russia appears to have been recruiting workers across several countries in recent months, with earlier reports showing images of an alleged recruitment poster in capitals in the Middle East, which were later denied by the Russian consulate in Tehran.