Export Controls: A Key G-7 Tool to Halt Russia’s War - Working Group Paper #20

Export controls, which deny Russia access to critical inputs for weapon production, are crucial in halting the war. Extensive export controls have been implemented and are impacting Russia’s military-industrial complex, yet they face the challenge of inadequate enforcement capacity. Ukrainian authorities are providing unparalleled insights into Russia’s military by publicizing numerous weapon units' components. Additionally, researchers have demonstrated how Russia circumvents sanctions through evasion networks. Recent measures by the U.S. to involve financial institutions in disrupting these networks are an important step to curb these activities. We propose further measures such as enhancing the resources of government institutions, strengthening corporate enforcement, addressing the involvement of third countries, and implementing new strategies to identify chokepoints in the Russian military-industrial complex.