The USA said that tens of millions of dollars worth of goods are coming to Russia and can be used by the aggressor to continue the war in Ukraine.
The United Arab Emirates and Turkey have been told by the United States that their economic and financial ties to Russia are hindering efforts to contain Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
According to Bloomberg, US Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson met with Turkish officials on Friday, February 3 to discuss US concerns about the increase in exports that include US goods.
US officials called on Turkey to limit the flow of goods to Russia. US officials have warned their counterparts that tens of millions of dollars worth of goods subject to export controls are heading to Russia and could be used by the defense industry to continue the war in Ukraine.
According to the article, between March and October of last year, dozens of Turkish exporters sent goods worth about $800 million to Russia, including $300 million worth of cars and $80 million worth of electronics.
The war in Ukraine and the position of Turkey:
Turkey has deepened its economic and trade ties with Russia, helped by the strong personal relationship between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Putin.
Erdogan, who is seeking another presidential term in elections scheduled for May, has turned to Russia for financial support to help deal with a troubled economy.
Erdogan also has well-established ties with Kiev and is keen to make Turkey a mediator in the war. On July 22, Ukraine and Russia signed an agreement on the export of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, and Turkey acted as a mediator.
On September 15, 2022, the US and the EU increased pressure on Turkey because the Russian payment system was still connected to Turkish banks. The EU feared that Turkey’s banking sector was a loophole that would allow Russia to bypass sanctions.
