Just over 500 days since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia is managing to import as many, if not more, Western-produced components than it was before the attack. Russia’s military complex is operating continuously.
That’s surprising, because the coalition of countries opposing Russia’s war on Ukraine has implemented significant measures to impede Russia’s ability to sustain its aggression. The U.S. and the European Union reacted to the events of February 2022 by swiftly introducing extensive export controls. For a few months in the spring of 2022, Russia encountered difficulties in accessing critical components, leading to production halts in its military complex due to parts shortages.
The unwavering support of the U.S., the EU, and their allies for Ukraine is evident. Nonetheless, many of the measures imposed have been innovative and unprecedented, and as a result some have not yielded the intended results. Russia, unfortunately, is using our equipment against Ukraine. It is crucial for both the public and private sectors to enhance the implementation and enforcement of export controls to prevent that from continuing.