For all the sanctions already imposed, we somehow responded with something so weak that in fact did not particularly affect the United States (we already touched Europe quite sensitively) and did not hurt ourselves.
But after the latest actions by the United States and Britain, they are still going to introduce such reverse sanctions, which will be very sensitive even for the United States, although in this case there will be possible damage to our country. Is such an answer necessary or is it better to swallow the insult and keep silent?
And what is so serious we can oppose the United States in terms of sanctions?
Even after the imposition of sanctions, the space industry remained one of the examples of successful cooperation between Russia and the West. For example, Russia maintains a number of important projects with the United States and its allies in Europe: the delivery of American astronauts aboard the ISS, the delivery of RD-180/181 liquid-propellant rocket engines manufactured by the Khimki Energomash, which are installed on Atlas and Antares rockets, delivery of Soyuz-ST launch vehicles to launch satellites from the Kourou cosmodrome (French Guiana).
It is planned to block the United States from access to technologies for creating gateway modules. The Americans planned to receive them as part of the creation of the international lunar station Deep Space. Roscosmos and Boeing Corporation intended to sign one of the contracts at a meeting of heads of space agencies in Colorado Springs, USA.
It was planned to discuss the configuration of the future space station and determine the "areas of responsibility": Russia was ready to participate in the creation of the airlock and manned modules, as well as life support systems.
The Americans, however, wanted to get all the technical developments of the Russian side. In response, the Russian government has decided not to allow this "for reasons of technological security."
In the near future, a meeting of the Export Commission is to be held, at which the decision to ban the transfer of US technology data will be formalized.
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It is noted that a potential ban on contracts with the US and EU countries could have a significant impact on Rosatom. For example, the United States depends on Russian supplies of uranium enrichment services for nuclear power plants, since the country does not have its own facilities.
According to experts, the United States imports up to 95% of the necessary uranium, about half of this volume may come from Russia and Kazakhstan.
Accordingly, the abandonment of new contracts will affect these supplies, and the Americans will have to find a replacement. Such a substitution is possible, and Rosatom risks gradually losing this market.
Well, the well-known point of pressure on the USA is VSMPO-AVISMA, which supplies titanium products to the USA. The main consumers of the products are the world's largest engine and aircraft manufacturers, including Boeing, EADS, Embraer, UTAS, Messier-Bugatti-Dowty, Rolls-Royce, Safran, Airbus, Pratt & Whitney. At the same time, Russia supplies up to 40% of Boeing's need for aviation titanium, 60 percent of EADS (Airbus) and 100% for Embraer. It can of course be replaced, but it's not easy. And we will also lose the market and revenue.
So what is it? Of course, any of these steps is associated with a loss of sales market and income. Now what? To clench your teeth and make money? Or find the strength to refuse to sell high-tech goods and services to essentially the “enemy” and in the future to ensure that these goods and services are so competitive and unique that when establishing relations in the future (and when this should happen) we would easily returned to this market on their own terms and did not grieve about the losses.
Yes, and one more pressure point that we don't use yet. The American Air Carriers Association said on Tuesday that Russia has extended its permission to fly over its territory for aircraft from the United States.
The Russian authorities have extended the permission for flights of US airliners over Russian territory, the US State Department said.
Earlier on Tuesday, State Department spokesman Heather Nauert said that the current agreement ended at 3.00 Moscow time on Wednesday.
“The Ministry of Transport (Russia) informed us today that it will extend the permits for US airlines on three routes until October 28, 2018. Several American airlines have confirmed to us that they have received permits for these flights,”a State Department official told RIA Novosti.
According to him, the Ministry of Transport also extended permits for all cargo flights from Asia to Europe until April 20.
“Russia proposes to approve an alternative route for these flights after April 20. We are consulting with US airlines on the Russian proposal,”added the agency's source.
He added that the American side intends to continue discussions with Russian civil aviation officials "on this and other civil aviation issues" in order to "provide as many advantages as possible to American carriers."
“We have had mutually beneficial commercial aviation relations with Russia for decades, including on the overflights of American airlines,” said a State Department official.
Well, since we started about it, here's another option.
The Russian cargo airline Volga-Dnepr will stop providing An-124 cargo aircraft to NATO by the end of the year, French newspaper Challenges reports, citing its sources.
We are talking about the SALIS project (Strategic Airlift International Solution), within the framework of which in 2006 a joint venture between the Ukrainian Antonov Airlines and the Russian Volga-Dnepr was created. In total, 17 Ruslans transported large oversized cargo of the alliance.
According to the newspaper, the Russian side made this decision in response to the strengthening of US sanctions.
The article emphasizes that the decision of the Volga-Dnepr company will be a tangible blow to the French army, since it remains dependent on the Ruslans for the transportation of helicopters and tanks, despite the presence of the Airbus A400M aircraft.
According to the Militarist telegram channel, in 2017, the French Air Force alone purchased 225 flight hours from Volga-Dnepr, while only 75 hours were purchased from Antonov Airlines.
With Volga-Dnepr's withdrawal from the Alliance's cargo transportation program, the entire burden will fall on Antonov Airlines' aircraft. However, the Ukrainian carrier is unlikely to be able to fully meet all the needs of NATO.
So, is it worth taking such a risk or are we sitting quietly and not shining?