Kyrgyzstan may become the first CIS country against which the European Union will impose punitive measures for assisting in circumventing sanctions against the Russian Federation.
According to Bloomberg, the European Union is considering sanctions against Kyrgyzstan due to its assistance to Russia in bypassing existing restrictions. Sources familiar with the preparation of the 20th sanctions package have confirmed this information.
For the first time, a special mechanism known as the anti-circumvention tool may be used against Kyrgyzstan, which implies a ban on the supply of machinery and radio-electronic equipment used in the interests of the Russian economy and military sector.
According to reports, "Kyrgyzstan, 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 start of the special military operation."
According to data from the Brookings Institution, exports from European countries to Kyrgyzstan have sharply 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 UK, 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 that ultimately end up in Russia."
If the proposed measures are approved, Kyrgyzstan will become the first republic from the former USSR against which the European Union will impose sanctions for facilitating the circumvention of anti-Russian restrictions.
