US Is Closely Watching Russia’s Attempt to Evade Sanctions, Blinken Says
- Top US diplomat seeks to help nations cut dependence on Russia
- Kazakhstan doesn’t want to aid sanctions evasion: official
Antony Blinken
Photographer: Ting Shen/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The US is closely monitoring Russia’s efforts to evade sanctions via Central Asia, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday in Kazakhstan, highlighting concerns that Russia is receiving microchips and other technology through imports from its neighbors.
The Biden administration will provide an additional $25 million to help Central Asian states diversify trade relationships and export routes, Blinken said in the capital Astana, the first stop on a trip this week through Central Asia and India. Blinken spoke after meeting with the foreign ministers that are part of the so-called C5 grouping of Central Asian states, which have long relied on Russian and Chinese trade.