Cameron vows to stop Russia feeding its 'war machine' by using central Asia to dodge sanctions

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David Cameron has acknowledged that Russia is using central Asian countries to side-step western sanctions on military goods - and said he wants to work with them to stop it happening.

The foreign secretary told ITV News it was wrong for banned items to be "exported and then simply re-exported, building Russia's war machine".

He made the comments in Kyrgyzstan, which has seen a huge spike in exports from a number of western countries including Germany, Poland, Italy, according to Robin Brooks, an economist and senior fellow at the Brookings Institute.

UK exports to Kyrgyzstan have also spiked by 1,100%, including drone equipment and heavy machinery, according to Sky News.

"These goods aren't staying in Bishkek, but going to Moscow," claimed Mr Brooks.

There have also been claims about Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, where Cameron will travel next.

When I asked the former PM about it, he said he had spoken to central Asian countries about sanctioned items on the common high priority list: "the things that Russia wants to feed its war machine."

He said the UK was not against trade between Kyrgyzstan and Russia - arguing "it is natural" - but said he would work with the government on trade that appeared to be undermining the sanctions system.

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He said the UK was working with the government "to try to put a stop to that".

When asking about how much the world has changed since he tried to build warm relations with Vladimir Putin and China's President Xi, Cameron added: "Oh it is undoubtedly a more dangerous place ... The lights on the global dashboard are flashing red...

"This is a more dangerous, more difficult, more disputed, more competitive world."

Cameron argued that was why Britain needed to strengthen its alliances, holding friends close but also to build new alliances, "as I'm doing here" he said.

He insisted he wanted to give central Asian countries a better choice of economic ties with the UK.

"But we are not forcing them to make a choice. That is the difference between us and Russia," he said.

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