Global Trade Infrastructure Moving Away from WTO - Putin

© Росконгресс / скриншот из видео

Speaking at the plenary session of the St. Pyotrsburg International Economic Forum 2026, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the current international trade system is gradually moving away from the fundamental principles on which the World Trade Organization (WTO) was originally established.

According to the head of state, the global trade architecture is undergoing a period of significant transformation. One of the signs of this process, he noted, is the rapid increase in the number of bilateral, regional, and megaregional trade agreements. Since the beginning of the 21st century, their number has almost quadrupled, indicating a decline in the role of universal regulatory mechanisms and a shift towards more flexible formats of economic cooperation.

The President pointed out that the trend of weakening WTO influence was largely initiated by the very states that had once been the driving force behind the creation of the existing trade system. He specifically referred to Western countries, which increasingly prefer alternative mechanisms of interaction over unified international rules.

Putin linked these changes to broader processes of restructuring the global economy. According to his assessment, the formation of a multipolar world leads to a reassessment of previous approaches to international trade. The model that functioned for decades in the interests of a limited circle of leading economies now increasingly fails to meet the demands of states seeking more equitable and balanced conditions for participation in global markets.

The head of state emphasized that in the new conditions, the importance of regional associations, alternative economic centers, and cooperation mechanisms based on the principles of equality, national interests, and mutual benefit is growing. According to him, it is these processes that determine the further evolution of the global trade system.