Ukraine Latest: US, EU Pledge Crack Down on Sanctions Evasion

The US and the European Union pledged to step up enforcement of sanctions on Russia and further choke off supplies and technology for its military.

(Bloomberg) —

The US and the European Union pledged to step up enforcement of sanctions on Russia and further choke off supplies and technology for its military.

“We’re making Russia pay for its atrocious war,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said during a meeting Friday with US President Joe Biden.

Turkey abruptly stopped the transit of sanctioned goods to Russia this month under pressure from Ukraine’s allies.

(See RSAN on the Bloomberg Terminal for the Russian Sanctions Dashboard.)

Key Developments

  • Pentagon Puts Priority on Replacing Munitions in 2024 Budget
  • EU Plans to Ask for Enhanced Trade Monitoring of Sanctioned Tech
  • Turkey Blocks Transit of Goods Sanctioned by EU, US to Russia
  • Putin Decree Puts Popular Route Out of Russia Assets on Hold 
  • Kremlin Clears Putin’s Diary for G-20 Summit as Isolation Eases

(All times CET)

EU Plans to Ask for Enhanced Monitoring of Sanctioned Tech (6 a.m.)

The EU is planning to ask third countries that have seen a surge in imports from the EU of advanced technologies and other goods that could be used for military purposes by Russia in Ukraine to enhance trade monitoring, according to people familiar with the matter.

Exports of advanced semiconductors, integrated circuits and other technologies from the EU and Group of Seven nations to Russia have fallen significantly. But shipments from the EU and G-7 to countries such as Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan and a half-dozen other economies in Eastern Europe and Central Asia have soared, and in turn exports from those nations to Russia has surged.

Pentagon Puts Priority on Replacing Munitions (2:50 a.m.)

The Pentagon’s $170 billion procurement request for the new fiscal year focuses on replacing munitions supplied to Ukraine as well as well as weapons like long-range missiles, which would be necessary in a conflict with China, according to an internal budget document.

The Defense Department will ask for $76.8 billion for the Navy and Marines, with $32.8 billion in new ship construction; $61 billion for the Air Force, which includes the US Space Force: and $24.4 billion for the Army, according to the official P-1 summary document obtained by Bloomberg News.

EU Aims for Tighter Potash Penalties on Belarus (12 a.m.)

The EU hopes to agree on new sanctions on Belarus by the end of March, which may include tougher restrictions on the potash sector.

Proposals made by the EU in January would align sanctions on Belarus with those already imposed on Russia, its closest ally, but their adoption was delayed by differences between member states over food and agricultural exports, including potash and fertilizer

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