At the end of February 2024, hearings were held in the US Congress on how and why American technologies fuel the war in Ukraine.
One of the participants was Elina Ribakova, the director of the International Relations Program and Vice President for Foreign Policy at the Kyiv School of Economics. A particular part of her testimony, available on the Senate's website, was devoted to Russia's access to foreign CNC machines. In the cited facts, Ms. Elina refers to the "CNC machinery 2.0." study by the ESCU, which we are certainly proud of:
"Align, expand, and simplify export controls. Export controls need to be harmonized across coalition jurisdictions. The current focus on specific products leaves similar goods unregulated, allowing considerable room for circumvention schemes. Governments should also regularly review the list of export-controlled items".
Ribakova also noted:
"Despite some impact of export controls on trade flows, Russia continues to import a large number of goods for military production. After the introduction of restrictions, supply chains have adapted, and many components, including those produced in coalition countries, end up in Russia through intermediaries in third countries".
Among the witnesses at the hearing were representatives of leading analytical and investigative institutions such as RUSI, KSE, and Conflict Armament Research. They emphasized that the manufacturing companies themselves should control their own supply chains, as representatives of the ESCU have repeatedly stated in their investigations and comments, as reiterated by Ms. Elina in her speech:
