An investigation published this week in the British Guardian newspaper reveals that despite the sanctions on the Assad regime, countries in Europe, including in the West, are doing business with it and along the way also enriching a close ally to Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

The investigation shows that countries on the continent are importing phosphates from Syria, including in recent months after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.
 
Phosphates are an important component in the fertilizer and forage industry and the war in Ukraine has created a shortage in the market. In 2018, the Assad regime transferred control of phosphate exports to a company owned by Gandhi Tymchenko, an associate of Putin's. According to the investigation, it turns out that countries like Poland, Spain, Bulgaria and Serbia purchased phosphates from Syria for tens of millions of dollars. 

The Russian company controls the Russian port of Tartus from where the exports are sent and this could explain the anger of the Russians about Israel bombing there in the area last weekend.