With Russia cut off from much of the global economy, such overtures are a sign of the regime’s increasing worries, those Western officials and economists say. “It is a question of money,” he said, pointing out that Iran, with help from Russia and Turkey, had previously managed to get around Western sanctions. AdvertisementThe Western officials said it had become obvious that China was not an adequate channel for Russia to mitigate the impact of sanctions, forcing the Kremlin to desperately look for other partners. Monthly Turkish exports to Russia surged by about $400 million between February and June, recent data from the Turkish Statistical Institute shows. But consumer goods aside, sanctions experts and Western officials doubt Turkey could become a hub for vitally needed equipment supplies without facing the risk of crippling secondary sanctions.

Source: Washington Post August 05, 2022 22:23 UTC