The U.S. government has issued a warning to American companies to halt shipments to over 600 foreign entities out of concern that the goods could be diverted to Russia for use in its invasion of Ukraine, according to a U.S. official. In recent weeks, at least 20 companies have been contacted by the Commerce Department as part of efforts to hinder Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine. These companies manufacture and sell products that have been recovered in missiles and drones in Ukraine.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the U.S. and more than 30 other countries have imposed sanctions to limit Russia’s access to Western technology and resources. Despite these measures, American components have still been found in Russian weapons left on the battlefield in Ukraine. Assistant Secretary Matthew Axelrod spoke at the department’s annual export control conference in Washington, D.C., revealing that letters were sent to American companies listing more than 600 foreign parties to whom shipments should be temporarily halted due to the high risk of transshipment to Russia.
Axelrod stated that officials from the Commerce, State, and Treasury departments have been in direct contact with senior leaders of U.S. companies to discuss additional steps they can take to prevent their products from being used in Russia. The goal is to prevent American goods from aiding Russia’s war effort in Ukraine, and further efforts are being made