Washington Targets Turkey, UAE and China in Sanctions to Stop Russian Defence Industry Support
In a sweeping effort to impede the Russian defense industry’s access to sensitive technologies for Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, the United States has imposed sanctions on companies in Turkey, the UAE, and China. Over 250 entities were affected by the measures, which also reached deep into Russia’s war economy, including a provincial bakery refitted to make drones.
The latest US sanctions are timed to coincide with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Washington this week, demonstrating support for Kyiv despite political roadblocks that have raised doubts about future military aid.
The sanctions target military contractors and civilian companies that have enabled Russia’s war effort, leading to growing confidence from the Kremlin that it can strengthen its arsenal while Western support for Ukraine wanes.
According to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, “We will continue to use the tools at our disposal to promote accountability for Russia’s crimes in Ukraine and those who finance and support Russia’s war machine.”
One of the main concerns of Ukraine’s allies is the potential for countries such as Turkey, the UAE, and China to serve as sources or channels for high-end electronics and high-precision goods that support Moscow’s war effort.
The US measures also target companies that have facilitated the transfer of munitions and military equipment from North Korea to bolster Russia’s defense stocks. North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has swung to supporting Moscow after meeting Putin in September, supplying the Russian military with artillery rounds.
The US’s main focus, however, remains on industrial companies in Russia that have shifted to producing defense equipment under Putin’s drive to put the economy on a war footing. The continued supplies of technologies from advanced microchips to ball bearings have helped keep artillery, drones, and missiles rolling off the production lines at Russian factories. Putin boasted last week that Ukraine’s overreliance on Western backing doomed it to lose the war.
While Turkey has not directly applied Western sanctions on Russia, it has claimed that “strict monitoring and prevention of efforts to skirt sanctions through Turkey is an integral part of our policy.”
In the UAE, the new sanctions have targeted 12 companies, many of which are involved in moving aircraft parts into Russia. One of the sanctioned entities is Aspect DWC, a UAE company which, according to Russian customs records, has been shipped parts for Dassault business jets.
The significant focus of sanctions on Chinese companies was a procurement network run by Hu Xiaoxun, a businessman. Hu Xiaoxun’s company, Jarvis HK, has exported ammunition, loitering munitions, and semiconductor microchip manufacturing equipment from China into Russia, according to the US Treasury.
The US also listed 17 other Chinese entities, including Beijing Yunze Technology and Chang Guang Satellite Technology. The US Treasury noted that these companies supplied satellite imagery used in Russian operations, including by the Wagner Group.
The impact of the US sanctions on these countries, along with continued pressure on Russia’s defense industry, remains to be seen as the conflict in Ukraine continues to escalate.