Latvia's Prime Minister: Armenia is Used to Evade Anti-Russian Sanctions

Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins stated today in Tallinn that traders in Turkey, Kazakhstan, and Armenia are using the European Union's imposed sanctions against Russia to bypass them. He made this remark after discussions with his Estonian and Lithuanian counterparts.

The three Baltic states are the most ardent advocates of strict sanctions against Russia. “It is very important to note these loopholes. If you analyze the statistics, you can see that trade in Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Turkey is growing significantly in certain sectors, comparable to data recorded in the past. It is clear that traders in those countries, which do not comply with the sanctions, are finding ways to conduct legitimate transactions and subsequently send the products to Russia,” Karins said.

The Latvian Prime Minister did not provide specific examples. Estonia's Prime Minister, Maia Kelly, suggested imposing a complete ban on trade with Russia.