Europe and the USA supply Russia with weapons
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Anyone who thinks that sanctions against arms exports to Russia will prevent Western weapons from reaching the battlefield in Ukraine is wrong. Weapons and ammunition do not come to Russia directly from Western countries, but via intermediaries. The sale of so-called hunting weapons to countries such as Poland, the UAE, Hungary and Croatia has increased sharply after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Many of these weapons then find their way to Russia, where many of these are used in the war against Ukraine.
The power of the arms industry
The power of the arms industry in the United States is well known. The arms industry in Europe probably also has a big influence. In the US it is fairly easy to get a gun. It is in the history and culture of the Americans. The right to bear arms was central when the whites colonized the continent. This is right each individual has to defend himself. The power of the arms industry has made it almost impossible to bring about reforms to limit access to arms. Large mass murders in schools and workplaces are almost everyday. Firearms are used.
Western countries’ arms industries also have power over their elected bodies. The gun industry is a big money industry. The power of the arms industry makes sanctions less effective. Western weapons finding their way to Russia via intermediate countries is a violation of the sanctions. Yet little or nothing is done to close the gaps.
Are arms sales to Russia proven?
It is of course a question to which it is impossible to get an answer. If we ask the arms industry, it will certainly claim that they have nothing to do with the resale from other countries. Still, it should ring a bell somewhere when new American weapons are seen at arms fairs in Russia. The same bells must ring when Russians can buy German “hunting weapons” online. Not used, but brand new.
Stop the sale of arms and ammunition to Russia now. Talking about sanctions is one thing, enforcing them is another.