In spite of all Angela Merkel’s assurances of awareness about Kremlin’s threat for the European safety is becoming increasingly grave, Germany still does little to damp down the appetites of the German business to receive profit on transfer of technologies and investments to the Russian military-industrial complex.
Cooperation of Germany and the Russian Federation is going on regardless of all the warnings on prohibition of violation of sanctions regime imposed against Russia.
The scandal over Siemens’ sale of two turbines to Russia in summer 2017, appeared later in the annexed Crimea, is the tip of the iceberg.
German MAN, which has sold to Zaliv munition-factory in Crimea production covered by the international ban, was also caught on violation of sanctions regime.
The Dutch companies Bijlard Hydrauliek B.V. and Dematec Equipment B.V. also neglect sanctions regime maintaining cooperation with Russia. In particular, Dematec Equipment B.V. assembles special machines within the territory of the Russian Federation (including equipment ‘hei hamer’ for driving piles), used for illegal construction of the bridge through the Kerch Strait.
The list of violators includes DaimlerAG from Germany which together with the Russian KamAZ has founded the joint venture of DAIMLER KAMAZ RUS engaged in production of the vehicles actively used by Russia for delivery of military cargo in Syria and Ukraine.
As it appears from the above, German business actively uses the mechanism of joint ventures to bypass sanctions regime. Also, German businessmen establish official representations for cooperation with the countries falling under sanctions. For example, about 80 branches of the German companies operate in Iran, and 1000 have their regional offices there. The most known are Henkel, Siemens and Bayer.