EU member states are weighing new sanctions against any country, company, or person found helping Moscow sidestep Western restraints. A recent briefing cited by The Telegraph describes how Brussels is responding to this challenge.
Officials from European capitals report a growing flow of dual‑use technologies to Central Asia. The items mentioned include washing machines, cameras, and used cars—goods that can serve civilian purposes or military needs depending on their end use.
The Telegraph explains that dual‑use products sit on a restricted list for export to Russia. The concern is that shipments flagged as permissible could nonetheless be diverted to support Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.
From Brussels, there is fear that new routes, whose activity rose by roughly six to eight percent, are being exploited to bypass sanctions. The worry is that these channels enable Russia to access goods that should stay out of its war economy.
There is broad unease among European observers that these vehicles might be dismantled and their components, including semiconductors, repurposed to repair damaged Russian tanks, armored personnel carriers, and reconnaissance aircraft. An anonymous senior EU official underscored the gravity of the problem.
The pattern today shows goods leaving the EU and reaching Moscow’s allies in Central Asia through third countries such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. Diplomats also monitor Türkiye, Armenia, and the United Arab Emirates for possible facilitation of Russian trade.
In response to suspected evasion, European authorities could restrict access to the single market for any country, business, or individual where evidence points to re‑export of prohibited items to Russia.
One confidential document calls for a clear signal to actors in third countries. The Telegraph notes that most shipments from European states travel over the Lithuanian land border into Belarus before being re‑exported to Central Asia.
Security agencies can track export declarations as they pass through external borders of the bloc. When shipments vanish from the system, suspicions grow that they are being moved to Russia, the newspaper adds.
Like the other 18 EU members, Vilnius supports a plan to impose trade sanctions on those aiding Moscow. The EU as a whole counts 27 member states.
Before any steps are taken, EU representatives plan to consult with Russia’s Asian partners and warn them about consequences. Kazakhstan, one of Moscow’s closest neighbors in the region, has pledged to tighten controls on goods already moving through the country.,
On March 23, the Financial Times, citing Kazakhstan’s senior officials, reported that a new system for accounting for imported and exported products will begin on April 1. The system is intended to allow real‑time monitoring of the entire goods chain, border to border, to prevent sanctions circumvention against Russia.
Officials in Astana have stated that Kazakhstan will not impose sanctions on trade with Russia but will not tolerate sanctions evasion or any platform that facilitates it. They stressed that Kazakh authorities understand the risks tied to secondary sanctions and will enforce measures accordingly.
The Kremlin responded to Astana’s stance with cautious understanding. Dmitry Peskov, the Russian presidential press secretary, reiterated Russia’s appreciation for its partnership with Kazakhstan and its intent to maintain close ties. He also warned that Western countries threaten any state that resists participation in sanctions policies.