Vladimir Putin Offers To Help Volkswagen In Russia; Meets Matthias Mueller

Putin said he knows the issue the carmaker is facing in Russia, which was a booming auto market once, and has now fallen victim to a sustained economic downturn.

After the meeting, Putin said, "We are very happy that your business as a whole is doing well, although we understand there are certain difficulties. We are always ready to discuss any questions you have to help you develop further in our country."

The Volkswagen Group produces Volkswagen, Audi, Seat, and Skoda models in Russia. The German carmaker has a plant in Kaluga, around 170km from Moscow, along with two other plants production plants.

Few foreign carmakers like General Motors have left Russia due to difficulties, but Volkswagen has sustained investment. Volkswagen said in a statement that the company is committed to the Russian market and offers around 6,800 direct jobs and almost 50,000 indirect jobs.

The Volkswagen Group builds a wide variety of vehicles, and one of the latest launches is the Kodiaq SUV, by Skoda pictured below.