Western firms bought hundreds of millions of dollars of titanium metal from a Russian company with deep ties to the country’s defense industry after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, according to a review of Russian export data.Very generally, despite a bunch of noise about sanctions crippling Russia at the beginning of the war, interest was soon lost in enforcing them. There was some idea that "The West" (the US) could cripple any country with sanctions, especially financial ones, and if that's true they (we) certainly aren't doing it!
The purchases illustrate how the West remains dependent on Russia for certain products despite pledges to break economic ties with Moscow. In the case of titanium, that dependence raises security concerns, industry and defense analysts say, as the metal is vital in the manufacturing of both commercial and military airplanes.
All above my pay grade.