Russian officials are concerned that the Western sanctions are undermining Russia's economic influence over countries in its close neighborhood and the Global South, the Financial Times reported on Feb. 10, citing a leaked government report.
Kyrgyz law enforcement officers arrested a suspected arms trafficker linked to a criminal group smuggling weapons from the U.S. to Russia, according to a statement released by Kyrgyzstan's security agency, the State Committee for National Security, on Jan. 30.
"Today's actions frustrate the Kremlin's ability to circumvent our sanctions and get access to the goods they need to build weapons for their war of choice in Ukraine," said Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Treasury Wally Adeyemo.
The new route, part of China's economic expansion efforts, aims to expand Chinese commercial influence in Central Asia and Europe while bypassing Russian territory.
"Money transfers through Russian banks, including Sberbank, Tinkoff, and MTS, have been suspended in both directions. This service is unavailable indefinitely," the bank's statement read.
The foreign agent laws adopted this year by Georgia and Kyrgyzstan are not fueling mounting authoritarianism and crony rule. They are the result of it. Critics of the countries’ regimes derisively allude to the legislation cracking down on nongovernmental organizations that receive funds from abroad as “Russian laws.” This is
Under Kyrgyz law, participating in conflicts on foreign territory is forbidden.
Mbank, Kompanion Bank, RKS Bank, Kyrgyz-Swiss Bank (KSB), Kyrgyzcommerzbank, and Keremet Bank have imposed various restrictions on transfers using Russian payment systems.
Russia is increasing imports of sanctioned dual-use goods like drones or U.S.-made computer chips from China via Central Asian trade routes, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on March 4.
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