Violation of sanctions?
“Monitor”: German company involved in the reconstruction of Mariupol
April 3, 2024, 11:10 p.m
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One of Russian President Putin’s propaganda goals is the reconstruction of the destroyed and occupied Mariupol. At least one German company is said to be indirectly involved in the construction work in the Ukrainian city.
German companies are also involved in the reconstruction of the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Mariupol. This is reported by the ARD political magazine “Monitor”, citing its own research. The company logos of several German companies can be found in the city on the Sea of Azov.
These include the Knauf company, which produces plaster. According to Monitor, the company has been doing business with Russia for a long time. And even today, 4,000 people are said to be employed in Russia. The company benefits at least indirectly from orders from the Russian government, according to the report. This emerges from the representation of an official Knauf dealer who is advertising a residential building project in Mariupol that was built using Knauf products on behalf of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
The reconstruction of the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city is one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most important projects in the Ukraine war. Putin himself traveled to Mariupol and viewed new houses. Construction companies erected the properties in a short period of time. In Russian state media, the reconstruction of Mariupol as a “Russian city” is exploited for propaganda purposes.
Possible breach of sanctions during reconstruction
Participation by German companies in the reconstruction of Mariupol could constitute a violation of European sanctions, even if the export of building materials is not generally subject to the EU’s sanctions rules. German companies “must be able to effectively rule out that there is any military connection to what they deliver,” says sanctions law expert Viktor Winkler “Monitor”. It is enough “that the military actions indirectly benefit from it.” This could also include the military occupation of Mariupol, which violates international law.
When asked by the political magazine, the company itself explains: “We condemn the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and (…) comply with all EU sanctions against Russia.” They manufacture in Russia “with local added value exclusively for the Russian market.”
Sanctions law expert Winkler doubts this assessment. “The idea that sanctions are irrelevant if a company or its subsidiaries only operate on Russian territories” is “an absolute myth and couldn’t be further from reality.”