WP learned about the preparation of US sanctions against Kyrgyzstan due to Russian assistance

The United States is preparing sanctions against Kyrgyzstan because of alleged assistance in circumventing sanctions, WP interlocutors told. Measures could start as early as this week

Washington is preparing new economic measures against Kyrgyzstan to "put pressure" on the country to stop trade with Russia, The Washington Post reports, citing two US officials familiar with the plans of the administration of US President Joe Biden.

According to them, the US authorities may begin to take action as early as this week. WP notes that earlier such measures were sanctions and blacklisting of companies.

“Kyrgyzstan, although small compared to other countries, is a clear example of how all factors simultaneously play a role in creating an unacceptably favorable environment for avoiding sanctions,” said one of the sources of the publication.

According to the newspaper's sources, Kyrgyzstan supplies Russian companies with dual-use goods, including Chinese drones. According to WP, citing trade documents, in February and March, Kyrgyz companies purchased "sensitive" electronics, including semiconductors and voltage amplifiers, from China and South Korea, during the same period, almost the same number of similar equipment was exported from Kyrgyzstan to Russia. 

The Embassy of Kyrgyzstan in Washington, in response to a request from WP, stated that the country's leadership is committed to complying with international rules in the fight against smuggling and other illegal trade. In the statement, the surge in trade with Moscow is partly attributed to improvements in electronic systems for tracking the flow of goods across the country's borders.

The diplomatic mission acknowledged cases of sanctions violations, but stressed that critics did not take into account the “real economic context”: Russia and Kyrgyzstan are members of the EAEU , and more than a million Kyrgyz work on Russian territory.

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In May, the Financial Times wrote that during transit through Russia to destinations in Armenia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, goods from the European Union worth more than $ 1 billion disappeared. According to the EU leadership, these products could potentially be used for military or intelligence purposes : aviation components, soldering irons, optical equipment, gas turbines, broadcasting products, etc.

The Wall Street Journal reported three days later that a number of former Soviet republics had become major transshipment points for US and European computer chips, lasers and other civilian and military products bound for Russia. According to the publication, the supply of goods from the US and the EU to Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan rose last year to $24.3 billion from $14.6 billion in 2021. These countries collectively increased exports to Russia by almost 50% last year, to about $15 billion. Analysts at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) called this route the "Eurasian detour."

The United States has already imposed restrictions on companies from the CIS countries for helping Russia to circumvent sanctions. In April, firms from Armenia and Uzbekistan were subject to restrictions.

The European Union, in turn, promised not to impose sanctions against Central Asian countries for circumventing restrictions on Russia. As President of the European Council Charles Michel said, the EU has appointed a special representative, David O'Sullivan, who meets with representatives of the countries of the region and discusses issues related to sanctions with them: on the one hand, he is trying to "persuade partners not to help Russia bypass sanctions," and on the other, listen to how these measures affect them.

The Russian authorities consider the sanctions imposed by Western countries in response to the start of a military operation in Ukraine to be illegitimate.