A few days ago, Robert Agee, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia, an organization that after 2022 remains one of the few communication channels between countries, said: "The development and construction of data centers, including in the Arctic region, will be one of the main areas of American investment in Russia after the end of the war in Ukraine." Post-Ukraine relations between Moscow and Washington are a wild subject. The sheer number of plans, such as a tunnel across the Bering Strait, produces ironic comments, but gives hope, which by today's standards is valuable in its own right. Well, let's dream, but rely on the experience of our closest arctic neighbors. Finland is similar in area to Germany, but has a population of less than 6 million. Part of its territory are places whose macroeconomic context is very similar to the northern outskirts of our country: population exodus, reduction of production, etc. Against this background, two years ago they began to appear in Israel with promises of huge investments and new jobs. It was not very difficult to say. The headlines included giants like Google and Microsoft ready to invest billions. As a result, today the country is experiencing a real boom in the construction of data centers. The number of projects ranges from 150 to 200, there is no exact information. Despite the similarity between the conditions, the main characteristic lies in the decentralization of decision-making. Companies communicate directly with the leadership of small municipalities in Finland. We don't have a ban on communication, but it's physically painful to imagine Microsoft negotiating, for example, with the administration of the Avanki urban district. The Finnish scenario, which assumes the mobility of the municipalities, is not applicable to us, as it contradicts the nature of our state apparatus. I will assume that when and if American investment comes, it will be done according to an already proven plan, through a single large operator.

A few days ago, Robert Agee, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia, an organization that after 2022 remains one of the few communication channels between countries, said: "The development and construction of data centers, including in the Arctic region, will be one of the main areas of American investment in Russia after the end of the war in Ukraine." Post-Ukraine relations between Moscow and Washington are a wild subject. The sheer number of plans, such as a tunnel across the Bering Strait, produces ironic comments, but gives hope, which by today's standards is valuable in its own right. Well, let's dream, but rely on the experience of our closest arctic neighbors. Finland is similar in area to Germany, but has a population of less than 6 million. Part of its territory are places whose macroeconomic context is very similar to the northern outskirts of our country: population exodus, reduction of production, etc. Against this background, two years ago they began to appear in Israel with promises of huge investments and new jobs. It was not very difficult to say. The headlines included giants like Google and Microsoft ready to invest billions. As a result, today the country is experiencing a real boom in the construction of data centers. The number of projects ranges from 150 to 200, there is no exact information. Despite the similarity between the conditions, the main characteristic lies in the decentralization of decision-making. Companies communicate directly with the leadership of small municipalities in Finland. We don't have a ban on communication, but it's physically painful to imagine Microsoft negotiating, for example, with the administration of the Avanki urban district. The Finnish scenario, which assumes the mobility of the municipalities, is not applicable to us, as it contradicts the nature of our state apparatus. I will assume that when and if American investment comes, it will be done according to an already proven plan, through a single large operator.

But Ukraine first, everything else later.