Russia has turned to countries like Iran to create an entirely new supply chain and trade routes that are out of reach of US sanctions. That's one of the fascinating things that's happening with sanctions where you now have so many countries that are sanctioned, says Peter Bergen. "It's almost like a shadow economy where the US is not able to do anything," he adds.
US sanctions against Russia are supposed to cut off Moscow’s access to all kinds of goods, including semiconductors, which are used in missiles and drones. But US officials allege a secret supply chain has illegally funneled these chips, some of them American-made, to Russia, where they’ve been used in weapons deployed against Ukraine.
Bloomberg reporter Ben Bartenstein joins this episode to talk about one alleged chip smuggling scheme. And US national security editor Nick Wadhams explains why sanctions can slow—but not always stop—Russia and other sanctioned nations from getting what they want.
Read more here: Web of Secret Chip Deals Allegedly Help US Tech Flow to Russia
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