Are Georgia and Kyrgyzstan Helping Russia Evade Car Sanctions?

In 2023, Georgia’s government banned the re-export of automobiles to Russia, a move intended to align with international sanctions against Moscow. But recent trade data is buttressing suspicions that Georgia is still serving as a key waypoint in a network used by Russia to import goods, especially automobiles.  According to figures released by the National Statistics Office of Georgia, for the second year in a row, cars were the most exported item from Georgia in 2024, totaling more than $2.4 billion and accounting for 37 percent of…