Russia has learned to circumvent sanctions: trade with some EU and NATO countries has even increased

Since the start of the full-scale war against Ukraine, Russia has increased trade with some EU and NATO countries. A striking example is Turkey, which allows it to circumvent the effects of sanctions.

This was reported by the Voice of America, citing an analysis by the Atlantic Council. Russia's trade turnover with China grew the most (by 27% per year). Some countries will take the opportunity to buy cheap Russian energy resources, which the EU has refused to buy.

"India and Greece are importing cheap Russian oil at below-market prices. And that's what is causing the surge in trade there," said Niels Graham, co-author of the Atlantic Council report. Turkey sells electronics and chemicals to Russia.

India's trade with Russia has grown by 250% since 2021, the largest increase among Russia's trading partners. China and India imported record volumes of Russian oil in May, according to Reuters, totalling about 110 million barrels for the month.

Washington has warned that Moscow is seeking to circumvent the price ceiling by using the East Siberia-Pacific Ocean pipeline along with ports in eastern Russia, where the West may have less control over trade activities.

The Atlantic Council report says that NATO member Turkey is also a vital lifeline for the Russian economy, with trade volumes up about 93% since the invasion. It says that Turkey has sold sensitive materials to Russia, such as integrated circuits and semiconductors that can be used in weapons systems.

Earlier, OBOZREVATEL wrote that Hong Kong, Kazakhstan and Armenia sell sanctioned chips to Russia. Recently, Russian companies have been changing the code of goods so that banks can easily conduct problematic transactions.

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