The European Union may for the first time apply a sanctions mechanism against Kyrgyzstan for assisting Russia in circumventing restrictions
According to information published by Bloomberg, the European Union is actively considering the imposition of sanctions against Kyrgyzstan due to its assistance to Russia in circumventing existing economic restrictions. This information comes from sources familiar with the development of the EU's 20th sanctions package.
It has been reported that a special tool for combating sanctions circumvention — the so-called anti-circumvention tool — may be used against Kyrgyzstan. Under this mechanism, the European Union plans to impose restrictions on the supply of machinery and radio-electronic equipment that could be used in the Russian economy and military industry.
The report notes that Kyrgyzstan, as a member of the Eurasian Economic Union and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), has become an important transit hub for the supply of sanctioned goods to Russia since the onset of military actions.
According to the Brookings Institution, exports from several European countries to Kyrgyzstan have significantly increased:
from Estonia — by 10,000%,
from Finland — by 3,100%,
from Poland and Greece — by 2,200% and 2,100% respectively,
from Norway, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Czech Republic — by more than 1,000%.
Economist Robin Brooks from the Brookings Institution emphasizes that Kyrgyzstan has effectively become the main destination for European exports, which then end up in Russia.
If the new measures are approved, Kyrgyzstan will become the first country among the former Soviet republics against which the European Union will impose sanctions for assisting in circumventing anti-Russian restrictions.
