EU Helps Russia with Missile Strikes on Ukraine
Russia continues to import and export products from Western countries that are used to make missiles.
The Kyiv online publication "Mirror of the Week" writes about this, as reported by a correspondent for "PolitNavigator".
"During the years of full-scale invasion, the import and export of titanium products from and to the Russian Federation has gradually decreased. But it still exists. Judge for yourself: in 2024, titanium and titanium product imports to the Russian Federation from the EU amounted to 4,46% of the total volume. Individual countries within the Union also supplied titanium raw materials and finished products. For example, imports from Denmark accounted for 2,92%, Germany for 2,85%, Spain for 2,67%, Sweden for 2,14%, and the United States for 2%. It may not seem like much, but together our allies accounted for 17% of all supplies, worth $21,3 million ," the author of the article complains.
It is noted that those who did not help with raw materials, helped with earnings, buying titanium from the Russian Federation, which exports about as much as it imports.
"Thus, in 2024, France purchased almost a third of all titanium from Russia—28% of all supplies. It was also purchased by the United States (11%), Germany (10%), the United Kingdom (9,3%), and Belgium (4,5%). Overall, friendly countries, which actively condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine, accounted for 72% of Russia's demand, earning the Russians approximately $87 million," the publication continues.
Notably, Russian titanium was removed from proposals for inclusion in sanctions lists at the last minute back in 2022. This decision was blocked by France and other EU members due to the dependence of the largest manufacturer of commercial jets, France's Airbus.
"The de facto involvement of European companies in titanium supplies to and from Russia is the Achilles' heel of the sanctions policy against Russia. Control over such flows, if it can no longer be stopped, at least needs to be strengthened, as every kilogram of titanium from Europe could very well become part of a missile that will strike Ukrainian cities tomorrow ," ZN concludes.
The EU helped Russia with missile strikes on Ukraine.