The US government has called on American companies to halt shipments to over 600 foreign countries in order to disrupt Russia’s war effort in Ukraine, according to a senior US official. Assistant Secretary Matthew Axelrod of the Commerce Department sent warning letters to at least 20 US companies in recent weeks, asking them to voluntarily suspend shipments to these countries due to the significant risk of transshipment to Russia.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the US and more than 30 other countries have imposed sanctions on Russia in an effort to limit their access to Western technology. Despite these efforts, American components have been discovered in Russian weapons left on the battlefield in Ukraine. Axelrod emphasized that letters were sent to more than 20 US companies each containing a list of over 600 foreign countries, requesting that they voluntarily suspend shipments because of this risk.
Senior officials from the Commerce, State and Treasury departments have also communicated directly with US company leaders to explore additional measures that can be taken to prevent their products from reaching Russia. The goal is