The Russian Government has proposed a deal to the United States where funds in its frozen assets could be used to purchase Boeing aircraft.
Active sanctions put in place by the US and Europe in 2022 forbid aviation sales to Russia
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the United States and Europe ‘imposed strict sanctions on the country’s aviation sector’, Ch-aviation reports. The active sanctions include the banning of ‘sale and leasing of aircraft, spare parts, and aviation-related services to Russia’.
Allied countries held funds frozen until Russia calls for a ceasefire in Ukraine
The total funds in the US and Europe equates to $280billion in Russian assets. These frozen funds cannot be used or accessed by Russia without a ceasefire in Ukraine. Reportedly, Russian spokespeople have acknowledged that ‘new aircraft orders could only materialise if the hostilities were paused’. The request for the access of the funds is only to purchase Boeing aircraft.
In addition to the request to access funding to buy Boeing’s aircraft, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reported that Russia has asked for Aeroflot to resume flights to the United States. Aeroflot, Russia’s largest airline has been prohibited from flying into both US and European Union’s airspace, since 2022.
Airlines prepare to fly back into Ukrainian airspace
In March, airBaltic proposed reconnecting the Baltic capitals to Ukraine in hopes of recovering the Ukrainian aviation sector. Serhiy Derkach, Deputy Minister of Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine said, he ‘welcomes its readiness to expand operations and reconnect Ukraine with Europe’. As of April, flights have yet to be resumed.
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