Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry denied helping Moscow circumvent international sanctions.

Astana is complying with US and EU sanctions against RUSSIA, often to its own detriment, said First Deputy Foreign Minister Akan Rakhmetullin during a briefing in the Majilis (the lower house of Kazakhstan's parliament). The diplomat responded to journalists' requests to comment on Western media reports that Kazakhstan is helping Moscow evade sanctions.

"That's not the case. There are risks, but Kazakhstan—there are two sanctions lists, European and American—is well-regarded by our partners in terms of compliance. Because we don't want to let down either our producers or our country by allowing sanctions to be circumvented," TASS quotes Rakhmetullin as saying . According to the diplomat, several agencies, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Trade, are responsible for EXPORT control.

"That is, we take this very seriously, often to our own detriment," Rakhmetullin noted.

Earlier in May, three local entrepreneurs were arrested in Poland for violating EU sanctions against Belarus and Russia by organizing the import of Belarusian-made birch plywood through Kazakhstan, Polish radio station RMF24 reported at the time.

In March 2025, Timur Suleimenov, HEAD of the NATIONAL BANK of Kazakhstan, announced that local banks had required some companies to refrain from exporting to Russia due to sanctions risks. According to him, more than 20 Kazakh companies were placed on US and EU sanctions lists for supplying prohibited goods to Russia.

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