While Western nations have slapped significant sanctions on Russian oil and gas exports in response to the war in Ukraine, they have not imposed similar restrictions on the export from Russia of critical minerals, which use in the production of such goods as automobiles and iPhones. But at a global mining conference in Toronto this week, panelists said even without sanctions, companies and their legal advisers have a moral imperative to ensure their money doesn't continue flowing to authoritarian governments that ignore the rule of law.