Poland circumvents Western sanctions and supplies goods to russia through Kyrgyzstan

Exports of goods from Poland to Kyrgyzstan increased more than 18 times after russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Central Asian country is seen as a way to bypass the sanctions imposed on direct exports to russia.

According to the official data of the Polish Statistical Office (GUS), in February 2022, Poland exported goods to Kyrgyzstan worth 10.19 million zlotys (2.33 million euros at the current exchange rate). By November 2023, this figure had reached 186.9 million zlotys (42.7 million euros), which is 1733% more than in the same period.

During this time, Kyrgyzstan, a country of 7 million people, jumped from 119th to 49th place among Poland's export destinations. The main products from Poland that go to Kyrgyzstan include cars, dishwashers, and copiers.

Kyrgyzstan's share in Poland's total exports remains small at 0.14%. However, its growth from 0.01% in just 2 years has attracted the attention of experts, who see this as evidence of business circumvention of sanctions imposed on russia for its aggression against Ukraine.

"These goods are by no means intended for domestic consumption in Kyrgyzstan. Obviously, they are headed to russia, where they help to support putin's military economy. And the EU is turning a blind eye. Many other countries are also using Kyrgyzstan as a way to evade sanctions against russia, including Germany, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Italy and the United States," said Robin Brooks, chief economist at the Institute of International Finance.

Source: Foreign Ukraine, Notes from Poland