François Picard is pleased to welcome Wayne Jordash, President of Global Rights Compliance Foundation. He argues that the European Union's approach to alumina exports exposes a fundamental flaw: while seeking to constrain Russia's military-industrial capabilities through sanctions, European authorities continue to permit the export of a strategic raw material that may ultimately support Russian weapons production.
This deadly contradiction finds itself at the intersection of sanctions policy, corporate accountability, and wartime supply chains. Jordash' argues that the more important issue is functional dependence and economic reality. Whether Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska formally controls the company, Jordash suggests that the scale of its commercial ties to Russia creates a form of de facto influence. More broadly, he contends that governments have obligations extending beyond proving a direct link between a specific shipment and a specific weapon system. In his view, authorities must assess foreseeable risks throughout supply chains and address the possibility that commercial activity may facilitate international crimes.
