UK announces new business-busting sanctions on Russia

RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS - In Brief 12 Aug 2023 by Alex Teddy

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On August 9 London said this was the largest ever action it had taken to prevent Russia from obtaining military supplies. Businesses and individuals in Switzerland, Slovakia, Turkey and the UAE have been sanctioned. A Slovak has been sanctioned for allegedly attempting to broker an arms deal between North Korea and Russia. The UK Foreign Secretary said that the said the sanctions would reduce Russia's arsenal and block supply chains. Russia needs to access Western technology particularly microchips. Cruise and ballistic missiles need electronic components made in the EU, UK, US, Japan, Israel and China.  Ukraine is angry that Western countries have been lax on sanctions. They say this is costing Ukrainian lives. The Ukrainian KSE Institute and the Yermak McFaul International Working Group on Russian Sanctions looked at over 1 000 components from 58 pieces of captured Russian arms. Half of them were microchips and processors. Two thirds of these were US made. They come from Intel, Texas Instruments and Analogue Devices and others. The components are usually under export control. In April 2023 Nikkei published a report that 75% of the US microchips obtained by Russia are bought from China. Russia buys the microchips saying they are for civilian purposes.  Companies in the Czech Republic, Serbia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Turkey and India also sell US microchips to Russia. It is surprising that the Czechs - an EU and NATO country - have turned a blind eye to this.  Turkik Union and Azu International are Turkish companies that have been sanctioned for selling Western microelectronics to Russia. In May 2023, the European Union, US and the UK published a list of 38 items that com...