Russia, the only major economy not currently part of the WTO, is losing patience with its thirteen-year-long quest for membership in the global trade body. It has threatened to pull out of accession talks with the US, and to cease complying with core WTO disciplines.

"We have reached the limit, the absolute limit, in our positions and we cannot make concessions in any area," said Igor Shuvalov, a senior advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin, on 5 September.

Each WTO Member must agree to the terms of an applicant's accession and may enter into bilateral talks on specific conditions of membership. The US is the only country that still needs to reach a bilateral agreement with Moscow.

Russia and the US had been optimistic about striking a deal on the eve of the St. Petersburg Group of Eight (G8) summit in mid-July. However, the talks broke down over issues including copyrights and access to banking and insurance markets.

"The conditions in which the Russian economy is functioning are much more open and more liberal than those in some countries that have already joined [the WTO]," stated Putin in July. "And if we, for some reason, do not succeed in reaching a final agreement, we will, of course, revoke our commitments to some of the agreements that we have adopted but are also fulfilling without being a member of the organisation."

US Trade Representatives Susan Schwab, when asked, refused to characterise the status of talks and simply said "we are continuing to work."

Not being a WTO member leaves Russia without legal protection for its exports. Anders Åslund of the Institute for International Economics explained in the Moscow Times, "[Russia] can never win an anti-dumping case because the WTO is the international arbitration court for trade."

Russian Economic Development and Trade Minister German Gref expressed hope on 12 September that the two countries would be able to conclude a deal next month, paving the way for Russia's accession in 2007.

"Russia at limit on WTO talks," THE TIMES, 6 September 2006; "Russia loses WTO bid as G8 begins," BBC NEWS, 15 July 2006; "Russia To Drop WTO Rules If Not Admitted," AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE, 4 July 2006; "WTO Talks Are A Whole Other Ball Game," Anders Åslund, MOSCOW TIMES, 21 August 2006; "Russia: Obstacles To WTO Membership Remain," RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY, 16 June 2006; "Russia and US Trade Deal Stalls," ASSOCIATED PRESS, 7 September 2006; "Still no deal to get Russia into WTO," David Armstrong, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, 18 July 2006; "Russia threatens to pull out of talks on joining WTO," AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE, 5 September 2006; "Russia's economic minister hopes to conclude WTO talks with U.S. next month," ASSOCIATED PRESS, 12 September 2006.