The European Union (EU) will not sanction Central Asian countries for bypassing its restrictions on Russia, European Council President Charles Michel told the leaders of the five nations. He said the sanctions would only target those “who support the Russian military machine.”
The European Union is considering new sanctions over Russia’s war in Ukraine. According to Reuters sources, the sanctions may target companies from China, Iran, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan that help Russia circumvent sanctions already imposed.
EU’s Special Envoy for Sanctions visited Uzbekistan to discuss concerns regarding the potential circumvention of sanctions against Russia. He urged Uzbekistan to strengthen control measures on the movement of specific EU-made products.
The US imposed sanctions on Alisher Usmanov’s USM Holding and its affiliated companies, including Akhangarancement, Digital Invest, which holds a stake in Ucell and operates a labelling system in Uzbekistan. Additionally, several Uzbek citizens and natives have been subjected to these sanctions.
The UK has sanctioned Alisher Usmanov’s USM holding and two linked companies, Curzon Square and Hanley, due to their ties to the Russian government and strategic sectors. Two Cypriot nationals connected to Usmanov and Roman Abramovich also face sanctions.
The US Treasury Department has sanctioned Uzbekistan’s Akhangarancement JSC and Alisher Usmanov-linked Akkermann Cement CA over concerns of potential sanction circumvention. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a license to wind down transactions with these companies until July 11.
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