Deputy Treasury Sec’y: Russia Is Still Getting Weapons Parts, Must ‘Do More’ to Ensure ‘Sanctions Continue to Stop Russia’

During an interview with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo stated that “we are concerned that Russia is getting access to key component parts, particularly from China and other countries” so they can build weapons, which shows that “we need to do more to make sure that our sanctions continue to stop Russia from being able to get the goods they need to build the weapons that they want.”

Host Joe Mathieu asked, “You said just yesterday on your tour in Kyiv that an unacceptable amount of weapons components are still getting into Russia. There’s, sir, a sentiment that sanctions are simply not working. As the Treasury’s point man on sanctions, does your trip confirm that?”

Adeyemo answered, “My trip confirms that we need to do more to make sure that our sanctions continue to stop Russia from being able to get the goods they need to build the weapons that they want. What we know is the Kremlin has charged their intelligence services with trying to get around our sanctions and we are concerned that Russia is getting access to key component parts, particularly from China and other countries that are allowing them to build these weapons. And what I’m here to do in Kyiv is to talk to my counterparts about the new tools we’re considering to try and go after the ability of the Kremlin to do just that. Fundamentally, we can’t do this alone in the United States, we need to do it with our allies and partners, and that’s why I’m heading from here to Germany to give a speech and talk to my German counterparts about the importance of us acting together to stop those components from getting to Russia.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett