EU member states exported weapons to Russia after the 2014 embargo

Was about to post this thread before ATS went down, so here it is, old news though but nonetheless you all should hear about it.

EU member states exported weapons to Russia after the 2014 embargo

“Our destinies are linked. Ukraine belongs to the European family. Vladimir Putin's attack is an attack on all principles that are important to us," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

That's what was said last week in Versailles. Let's scrutinize these holy EU principles:

I guess that's why EU still sent 35% of all weapons exports towards Russia in between 2015 and 2020 anyways? After 2014 due to what happened in Ukraine, the EU placed a weapon embargo on Russia in 2015. They did not adhere to it, it was just a paper dragon. 121.8 million Euro. Planes, missiles, torpedos, bombs, equipment. I extracted the information for you from the article and put it at the end of the thread.

The data that this investigation is based on, are from official weapon export registers of all 27 EU states. Like they didn't even care to hide. The french weapon exports towards Russia had a huge peak skyrocketed in 2015, too. I want to add it is not clear what an "item" is. It could be single rounds, 100 round boxes per item, a torpedo or an array of torpedo, just as an example. But if we divide 345,2 million items through the 121,8 million €, then we arrive at 2.83€/item. This indicates there was a lot of small parts or ammunition delivered, not always full equipment, probably spare parts too. Because for sure a torpedo costs more than 2.83€.


Here are some of the perpetrators, listed by number of items / exports, rounded:

France: 152 million
bombs, rockets, torpedoes, missiles, explosive charges, infrared imaging equipment for 1000 tanks, navigational systems, infrared imaging equipment for fighter jets and combat helicopters, aircraft and components, "lighter than air"-vehicles. 2014 France even authorized delivery of chemical and biologic weapons and radio active material (medicinic?) to Russia.

Germany: 121.797 million
rifles, icebreaker vessels, armored vehicle
Ex-Chancelor Merkel personally had to sign these deals.

Italy: 22.477 million
offroad vehicles. There are already pictures of those IVECO offroad vehicles on the Ukrainian front!

Austria: 18.524 million
smooth-bore weapons with calibre less than 20mm, automatic weapons in calibre 12,7mm, ammunition, fuse setting devices and other special components

Bulgaria: 16.535 million
"Vessels of war", manufacturing machines for items controlled in the EU Common Military list

Czech Republic: 14.255 million
aircraft, lighter than air vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles, aero-engines and aircraft equipment.

345.588 million items total

I think we can all agree the Ukrainian war is a proxy war between superpowers. What is left at the end remains to be seen, but there's no doubt it's going to hurt.

Yes I agree. The thing is just, why would the EU, especially France, tell us citizens there is an embargo but sell weapons and materials nonetheless.

I mean, it's like they wanted this to escalate. Think about it. Weapons embargo because of what happened 2014, but then not really, just officially. Inofficially they even cranked up the sales.

Makes you go hm....

a reply to: nugget1

Its a proxy war between US and Russia.
The US DS had failed its regime change goals in Syria now they are back on the Eastern Europe, they tried to pull a regime change in kazakhstan.
Russia was aware of it.

originally posted by: TDDAgain
Yes I agree. The thing is just, why would the EU, especially France, tell us citizens there is an embargo but sell weapons and materials nonetheless.

Because EU leaders are controlled by USA.

a reply to: TDDAgain

Have you seen Macron shocked that Putin the twoface isn´t his "friend" anymore. He tried to negotiate Putin to step back but failed.

a reply to: SimeonJ

You got it. Especially my country. We have a lot to say and influence in the EU.

However all these embargos and also some "sanctions" (certification of Nordstream 2 was already halted, to say we halt it even though it's already halted for 4 months before it became topic.... and sell it as a sanction is like... Spineless to save face towards the US. And Russia laughs about it because they know what's really up.

Just a hint for those that want to look into this. Last year Putin reduced the gas for a short amount of time for Nordstream 1. Ask yourself why, why the timing and what else was signed around that timeframe.

Pathetic German politicians.

a reply to: dollukka

Lol their "friendship" had a dent when Macron didn't trust Putin about his DNA and had to sit half a mile away at that huge table.

The world is a charade.

a reply to: TDDAgain

You can easily check Putin´s lineage from geni using history link and .. Macron is right Putin has no Kievan Rus DNA in him..

a reply to: dollukka
It's not about lineage.

Macron visited Putin before the war. Press was curious why he had to sit at the long table. Official explanation was Macron declined a PCR test on Russian soil, because he was afraid the Russians get his DNA. Russians said: Test here, contact ok. Test not here, you have to undergo distancing and such.

a reply to: TDDAgain

Need I point out that the EU is a morally defunct organisation?

a reply to: Freeborn

I hoped this thread achieves that for those that were not aware until now. I've always been against the EU, I would not think a second about giving my vote to leave it and become sovereign again.

a reply to: TDDAgain

The EU has become a bloated, unrepresentative, corrupt money-go-round.

I think we are all aware of the benefits of a Free Trade Association.
We of course have many shared interests and values.....but political union?

a reply to: TDDAgain

Not "items total"....

It's Euros.... 346 million Euros...

a reply to: TDDAgain

And for clarity...

it's not

"Italy: 22.477 million" as in "22 thousand 477 million"

It's

"22 million 477 thousand euros"

a reply to: flice

I went back to the article, because I am sure it was written like that. I jumped on the article on Tuesday (my local time) when it came out. I checked couple of times because I was so confused about the "item" count. I suspect it was a early draft and edited afterwards, I fell for it. Arguably, I could have noticed all the sums adding up to the "item" count and confused a number, I give you that.

I would not have written this though, see:

I want to add it is not clear what an "item" is. It could be single rounds, 100 round boxes per item, a torpedo or an array of torpedo, just as an example. But if we divide 345,2 million items through the 121,8 million €, then we arrive at 2.83€/item. This indicates there was a lot of small parts or ammunition delivered, not always full equipment, probably spare parts too. Because for sure a torpedo costs more than 2.83€.

"Italy: 22.477 million" as in "22 thousand 477 million"

Actually not, you are wrong.

In the US-English domain, as well as in the article I quoted, the DOT is used as a decimal separator. So if I write 22.477 million, that's exactly that. 22 point 477 million. Or 22,477,000 units of something as written in the US / GB. The language we currently use, the server's location and the language of the article.

You are German, right?

Here, learn how it works
GB-English
4,294,967,295.00

US-English
4,294,967,295.00

German
4 294 967.295,000

a reply to: nugget1

It’s not a proxy war, Russia invaded a nato ally without a nato response, other than arming the Ukrainians, which is an act of war against Russia.

It is worst, no only selling weapons, but now the senile Biden wants to make weapon deals with Iran at the expenses of the tax payers, that will go around to be sold to the Russians on backdoor deals.

Is soo peachy and transparent we know how dirty our own government is.

a reply to: TDDAgain
The western world had known for many years that Russia would invade Ukraine. They have stuffed Ukraine with state-of-the-art weapons. Now they pretend that they are still supplying weapons to Ukraine (which indeed is the case). But Ukraine was very well prepared. Russia has waited too long. What is happening now is definitely bad. It's sad. Russia will have a hard time digesting a humiliation. I pray for peace.

originally posted by: TDDAgain
a reply to: flice

I went back to the article, because I am sure it was written like that. I jumped on the article on Tuesday (my local time) when it came out. I checked couple of times because I was so confused about the "item" count. I suspect it was a early draft and edited afterwards, I fell for it. Arguably, I could have noticed all the sums adding up to the "item" count and confused a number, I give you that.

I would not have written this though, see:

I want to add it is not clear what an "item" is. It could be single rounds, 100 round boxes per item, a torpedo or an array of torpedo, just as an example. But if we divide 345,2 million items through the 121,8 million €, then we arrive at 2.83€/item. This indicates there was a lot of small parts or ammunition delivered, not always full equipment, probably spare parts too. Because for sure a torpedo costs more than 2.83€.

"Italy: 22.477 million" as in "22 thousand 477 million"

Actually not, you are wrong.

In the US-English domain, as well as in the article I quoted, the DOT is used as a decimal separator. So if I write 22.477 million, that's exactly that. 22 point 477 million. Or 22,477,000 units of something as written in the US / GB. The language we currently use, the server's location and the language of the article.

You are German, right?

Here, learn how it works
GB-English
4,294,967,295.00

US-English
4,294,967,295.00

German
4 294 967.295,000

Yes I know... It's just confusing for us not using english commas makes the numbers seem a lot higher. I would basically just write 22 point 5 million.