On Wednesday, the US authorities intend to publish a black list of Russian defense companies - this time they impose sanctions "in connection with Iran, the DPRK and Syria." Rosoboronexport and MiG Corporation are mentioned in the list. The United States exploits the political environment to neutralize competitors, but the defense industry does not consider itself to be affected. MFA promises "retaliatory and not necessarily" mirror "measures."The US government will impose sanctions against a number of Russian defense companies. The reason this time was not the events in Ukraine, but alleged violations of the law on nuclear non-proliferation weapons “In connection with Iran, the DPRK and Syria”.
The document, which is to be officially published on Wednesday, is already available for preview on the website of the governmental bulletin of the Federal Register.
According to the information it contains, the black list includes the Tula Instrument Engineering Design Bureau, Katod, NPO Mashinostroyenia, MiG Corporation, Rosoboronexport. The sanctions also apply to their "successors, divisions and subsidiaries," the document says.
The US authorities claim that Russian companies were allegedly involved in the transfer to Iran, the DPRK and Syria, or the acquisition from these countries of goods, services and technologies from "multilateral export control lists" that could make a significant contribution to the development of weapons of mass destruction.
According to the spokesman for the US Embassy in Moscow, William Stevens, “these organizations came under sanctions based on reliable information that they were involved in transferring or purchasing from these countries goods, services and technologies listed in the multilateral export control lists and national control lists. US lists, as well as other items that could make a significant contribution to the development of weapons of mass destruction. ” Thus, according to Stevens, no agency department of the US government can acquire products or enter into transactions with these organizations, provide assistance to these companies, and also sell them items from the US Munitions List.
Only with the personal sanction of the Secretary of State
The notice posted on behalf of the US Department of State explains that, henceforth, US Government ministries and departments will be prohibited from entering into any procurement contracts with companies on the sanctions list and providing them with any material support and assistance. Exceptions can be made only with the personal sanction of the US Secretary of State, noted Tass. It is also forbidden to sell military black goods to companies from the blacklist of the US government.
Earlier deals for the sale of goods and services falling under the US export control law are broken. Licenses for such transactions are prohibited from now on. Measures remain in force for two years, unless the deadline is changed by the decision of the Secretary of State.
The agency responsible for this document is the US Department of State. “It was decided that a number of foreign structures are involved in actions that imply additional measures under part of the 3 th non-proliferation law in connection with Iran, North Korea and Syria,” the notification says.
It also stresses that this law "provides for penalties for foreign companies and individuals for deliveries to Iran, Syria and the DPRK, as well as for the acquisition of goods, services and technologies therein that fall under the (so-called) multilateral control lists." As noted, with regard to Iran, these norms are in effect from 1 January 1999 of the year, in Syria - from 1 January 2005 of the year, and in the DPRK - from 1 January of 2006.
Ключевые слова: ядерное оружие, Иран, Рособоронэкспорт, санкции, экономические санкции, ВПК, оборонные предприятия, США и Россия
Along with this, new sanctions also affected companies from a number of other countries, in particular from China, Iran, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.
"On the one hand, even happy"
Catod OJSC, which is producing optoelectronic transducers — the main components of night vision devices — stated that the enterprise will not suffer, since the US market plays a minor role in its operations. “It will not affect our economic indicators. We work with the countries of EurAsEC and BRICS, and recently a very large amount of production goes for the domestic market, for the Russian power structures, ”said the company's general director Vladimir Loktionov TASS.
According to Loktionov, the United States "is using the political environment to compete." “Before our appearance, they were monopolists in this market. On the one hand, we are even glad that this happened because we understand that we have reached a very high level in our technologies. So in Russia they can not only pump oil, but also do something that can compete with American companies, ”the general director added.
The head of the Department of Industry, Innovation and Entrepreneurship of Novosibirsk, Alexander Lyulko, explained the introduction of sanctions against Katod with a competitive struggle. “There are two such enterprises that develop fifth-generation electronic optical converters in the world: our Cathode and an American company. Moreover, “Cathode”, as far as I know, is now seriously pushing the American company, ”he said.
Lyulko noted that, according to the data sounded at the last meeting of the Presidium of the SB RAS, "Cathode" occupies a quarter of the market of the EOP in the US
“No dependence on the American market”
In JSC "MIC" NPO Mashinostroeniya "make similar forecasts. “These are not the first sanctions that are targeted against our company. Compared to last year, they bring nothing new. As we worked last year, we continue to work, ”a spokeswoman for the corporation told the VIEW newspaper.
What are the plans for the replacement of imported goods by Russian
The representative of the corporation "MiG" Anastasia Kravchenko also said that the current restrictions will not affect the work of the enterprise.
“These sanctions for our company and for our relations with partners are not critical. Our corporation uses its own technology, so the announced restrictions will not prevent the company from continuing to operate in the same mode, ”Kravchenko told the VIEW newspaper.
“At the moment, we are not dependent on the American market. There will be no casualties, ”she added.
"Measures, and not necessarily" mirror "
In response to another unfriendly move by Washington, the Russian Foreign Ministry said: “The expansion of sanctions lists (...) is not just another manifestation of the inability of the US administration to adequately assess what is happening in Ukraine. This is a reflection of the line that has taken root in the US ruling circles for the deliberate, consistent destruction of the basis for the normalization of Russian-American relations. ” In addition to the ongoing attempts to “build in” sanctions against Russian individuals and legal entities into the tragic cannon of what is happening in Ukraine, it announced the use of “illegitimate restriction in the framework of the current US legislation on Iran, Syria and the DPRK,” the Foreign Ministry said.
“We make sure again: Washington is not driven at all by concern for reducing tensions in hot spots, but by irritation with Russia's independent position on the world stage, the desire to“ punish ”us for rigorously upholding national interests, for the free choice of the inhabitants of Crimea and Sevastopol and thereby harm the Russian economy "- stressed in the Foreign Ministry. The same message emphasizes that Washington’s “reckless course” “causes growing concern even among the US allies” and not only “is fraught with serious costs for international stability”, but also “without a doubt, a boomerang will hit American interests.” “We emphasize: in the USA there should be no illusions about the possibility of continuing this line without negative consequences for oneself. The retaliatory measures, and not necessarily the “mirror” ones, will follow from our side, ”the statement says.
"Can play at hand"
“The continuation of the package of sanctions is not a surprise. Now we can say for sure that the cold war is going on, no matter how it camouflages, ”said Sergey Yermakov, head of the regional security problems sector at the Center for Defense Studies of the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies, at VZGLYAD.
He added that information motives for US sanctions "are always used the most diverse and even ridiculous. Russia exclusively observes everything related to arms control issues, especially in the nuclear sphere, and the Americans understand this perfectly well. Periodic claims about non-proliferation of nuclear weapons or the treaty on medium and shorter range missiles (INF) do not have any real ground and are designed to put Russia in a negative light, to justify those sanctions that the Americans already intend to impose, ”the expert said.
The US sanctions themselves are not so terrible, but “anti-Russian rhetoric is developing, which does not add stability or predictability to the international climate as a whole and does not strengthen international security,” the source said.
He pointed out that the United States imposes sanctions on those enterprises, cooperation with which they are not interested. But "there are enterprises that make engines, including rocket engines, which are put on American civilian missiles, there are also certain components that are produced in Russia, and American companies are interested in them, for example, the same Boeing" - they do not fall under these sanctions. Such a cynical approach, "- said the source.
The policy of sanctions puts pressure on the economy, but there are no direct real consequences from the new sanctions wave for enterprises, Ermakov added. “The Russian leadership is doing everything possible to switch to its own resources or to look for other suppliers,” the expert said. He explained that each case with the purchase of components is individual, but "all this is solved." “Of course, not immediately, it requires investments and power, but maybe it will play into the hands and raise the domestic industry,” the expert concluded.
"Ready for an economic war"
Vasily Kashin, an expert of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, agrees with Yermakov. The US sanctions, in his opinion, "have become quite an expected technical measure, to which everyone has become accustomed." “I don’t think that the companies mentioned in the list of sanctions will have significant problems because of this, because they existed long ago under the constant threat of sanctions and even partial sanctions,” said Kashin to VIEW.
The interviewee noted that “problems with the purchase of equipment and components from Russian defense enterprises began a long time ago, they fully manifested themselves with the onset of the Ukrainian crisis and were in some private matters even earlier.” The expert explained that earlier (“and since 90’s, this история it continues uninterruptedly ”) then one or another Russian enterprise fell under some kind of American sanctions for military-technical cooperation with Iran, nevertheless it has not been interrupted in recent years, even after the imposition of sanctions by the Security Council it continued in areas where is allowed. “There are quite a few of these areas,” the expert emphasized.
US pays a big price
As world military spending grows
Kashin noted that "the actions of the United States have not added a positive effect to our relations, but the United States has been doing this for many decades now." At the same time, the United States themselves for such a policy “pay a rather high price,” the expert emphasized. He explained that if you have the choice of buying American or non-American equipment and components, then all other things being equal, you will always strive to choose non-American.
“Just because you know that America loves to play in an economic war and at any moment something can turn so that you yourself, without suspecting it, will fall under certain sanctions - it may not even be due to your actions, with the actions of your counterparty, the resale of your equipment, ”the expert explained. This example is followed by many other developing countries, particularly China. “For this reason, Americans are already losing the Chinese civilian aircraft market, and many other high-tech markets are losing out to the Japanese and Europeans. It should be understood that any technological dependence on the United States is a risk, it should always be avoided, even if everything is working fine at the moment, ”the expert emphasized.
He recalled that “the United States views economic war as the main component of foreign policy. When any contradictions arise, the first thing they think about is the imposition of sanctions, sometimes even on close countries. So do not be substituted, "- said Kashin. If earlier we had illusions that a final break with the West is impossible, they themselves will not want to suffer losses, now it is clear that all this is “complete nonsense. When making any decision, it is necessary to consider such a component as an economic war that the United States is waging against us and will wage for decades to come. How she will take a turn, what they decide to take a step at one stage or another, you do not know, everyone should measure the risk, ”said the source.
Since the blacklisted companies have long cooperated with Iran, supplied something to it, sanctions in some private areas may worsen their situation, but in general, it is unlikely that something will change, the expert believes. Answering the question why these enterprises fell under sanctions, Kashin explained that in recent years, even under sanctions, we had several large projects with Iran, in particular, the delivery of anti-tank Kornet missile systems, various types of electronic warfare systems, in the modernization of the Iranian air defense systems. “These are all areas that are allowed to cooperate with the sanctions regime imposed by Security Council resolution 1929. We didn’t break anything with this, but from the US point of view there could be a violation, ”the expert noted.
He added that there may be smaller projects that we don’t know about in the media, for example someone put a machine to someone, and then the Americans came to the conclusion that it is used in a rocket program. Either someone provided any advisory services - it is generally very difficult to verify, the Americans somehow traced them and came to the conclusion.
And again "in connection with the situation in Ukraine"
In addition, it became known that "The Bureau of Industry and Security (under the US Department of Commerce) changes the rules for controlling export regulations by blacklisting 29 companies" from Russia, the document says, which will also be published on the website of the Federal Register. This time, sanctions are imposed against Russia in connection with the situation in Ukraine. As emphasized in the document, "this is done because the US government has decided that they are acting in opposition to national security or the interests of the United States foreign policy."
This step is also more technical and, in effect, fixes the sanctions that Washington has already imposed at the end of July against a number of individuals and companies. In particular, it dealt with structures related to businessmen Boris Rotenberg, Gennady Timchenko (as well as the Rosneft concern) registered in Russia, Crimea, Ukraine, Cyprus, Finland, Romania, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
The list of
The EU countries, the USA and Canada introduced the first package of sanctions against Russia last spring, which was later expanded. In response, Russia in August 2014 introduced retaliatory sanctions that spread to the products of the agro-industrial sector from the United States, EU states, Canada, Australia and Norway.
In particular, the United States since 1 August 2014, has banned the supply of equipment for deep-sea exploration and production of oil, work in the Arctic and shale oil fields in Russia. In September, the sanctions were tightened: it was also forbidden to provide services for such projects. The United States indicated specific recipients of such sanctions: Gazprom, Gazprom Neft, Rosneft, LUKOIL and Surgutneftegas.
In late July, 2015, the US Treasury Department announced the introduction of sanctions against 11 individuals and 15 legal entities. Among the defendants of the list, in particular, the Russian businessman Roman Rotenberg and the son of the former President of Ukraine, Alexander Yanukovych. The list also includes the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant, the Izhmash concern, a number of commercial ports in the Crimea, and subsidiaries of VEB and Rosneft. 7 August, the United States extended its industry-wide sanctions against the Russian economy to the Yuzhno-Kirinskoye oil and gas field in the Sea of Okhotsk.
Rosneft regarded the US sanctions as revenge for Russia's vote on Boeing. The US itself explained the expansion of the blacklist with attempts by companies to circumvent sanctions.