“The EU imposed set of wide-ranging sanctions against Russia for its illegal aggression of Ukraine, violation of the UN Charter and for committing atrocities amounting to war crimes. The EU has called on all countries to align with these sanctions, adopt similar national measures or at least not to allow any circumvention of these sanctions. In a previous sanctions package the EU introduced a possibility to impose sanctions also on persons or entities allowing the circumvention of sanctions.

We are closely monitoring trade flows of sanctioned goods from the EU to third countries and from third countries to Russia. In the context of Armenia, we have indeed observed some anomalous trade flows. We are looking at the issue and we are in dialogue with the Armenian authorities,” he said.

New York Times has revealed that Armenia is among the countries that help Russia bypass Western sanctions.

Reportedly, a surge has been recorded in chips and other electronic components re-export from Armenia to Russia. Eight particular types of those chips, crucial for the production of weapons, are delivered in Russia.

"One document marked with the seal of the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security said that in 2022, Armenia imported 515 percent more chips and processors from the US and 212 percent more from the EU than in 2021. Armenia then exported 97 percent of those same products to Russia, the document said," reads the article.

Earlier, the US Departments of Commerce, the Treasury, and of Justice have issued a trilateral note on the specifications of the signs of attempts to circumvent sanctions against Russia.

According to the document, one of the most common tactics is the use of third-party intermediaries or transshipment points to avoid restrictions. It was revealed that Armenia is used to illegally redirect goods to Russia or Belarus, thus, bypassing West sanctions.

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