WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. government has requested American companies to halt shipments to over 600 foreign entities out of concern that the products could be diverted to Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, a U.S. official revealed on Thursday. The Commerce Department has issued warnings to at least 20 companies in recent weeks as part of ongoing efforts to impede Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine, according to a U.S. Commerce Department official.
These companies manufacture and sell items typically found in missiles and drones discovered in Ukraine. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the U.S. and more than 30 other nations have implemented various sanctions aimed at diminishing Russia’s capacity to wage war by restricting access to Western technology. However, American components have still been identified in Russian weapons left behind on the Ukrainian battlefield.
“In the last few weeks, we have sent letters to over 20 American companies, each containing a list of more than 600 foreign parties,” Assistant Secretary Matthew Axelrod stated at the department’s annual export control conference in Washington, D.C. “These letters have requested that the American companies voluntarily cease shipping to these parties due to the significant risk of transshipment to Russia.”
Axelrod noted that senior officials from the Commerce, State, and Treasury departments have been in direct communication with top executives of U.S. companies to explore additional measures they can take to prevent their products from ending up in Russia. (Reporting by Karen Freifeld; additional reporting by Alexandra Alper in Washington; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
