In “the toilet war”, EU sanctions against Russia include toilets and related fixtures
“Hit ’em where it hurts”
James Crisp reports of a little noticed sanction on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine in February, 2022: a ban on the sale of toilets and related fixtures to Russia.1 According to Crisp, one in five Russians does not have indoor plumbing. There are many reports of Russians looting toilets in Ukraine and sending them back home.
Crisp reports,
The export ban covers European “bidets, lavatory pans, flushing cisterns and similar sanitary ware”, according to diplomats. It was brought in last summer, but has only just been reported.
“The flushing toilet has done more for civilisation than any other single invention,” another European diplomat told The Telegraph.
“So by restricting exports, we are merely bringing Russia’s technological advancement in line with the state of its civilisation.”
James Crisp, “EU stops selling toilets to Russia as punishment for invading Ukraine; Bloc bans lavatory exports in latest attempt to neutralise Vladimir Putin ahead of the invasion’s one-year anniversary,” The Telegraph, February 16, 2023 (5:07 pm).
I they say the putting restrictions on Russia never work....but maybe there is hope they can if strategically placed.