Much is under development between United States and Russia, as both the countries are engaging in tough negotiations over ease of sanctions on Russia, those in place due to the invasion of Ukraine.
Bloomberg, citing an informed source in Moscow, has reported that Russia, in negotiations with the United States on Ukraine, asked for permission to purchase Boeing aircraft at the expense of billions of dollars of assets that were frozen due to sanctions.
According to the agency's interlocutor, it is assumed that the "deal" may take place after a ceasefire is reached. The request is not a condition for Russia's consent to a truce, the Bloomberg source emphasizes, but Moscow understands that the frozen funds cannot be used to buy aircraft without stopping hostilities.
In total, the United States, Great Britain and the EU have frozen $280 billion in reserves of the Central Bank of Russia, but more than two-thirds are blocked in the European Union.
The deal for Boeing aircraft may be part of the easing of sanctions in the event of a cessation of hostilities, writes Bloomberg. However, so far the United States officially refuses to discuss this issue. "The U.S. will not discuss any economic commitments until a ceasefire is reached," National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes told Bloomberg.
This is not Russia's first request for the easing of air sanctions. Russia asked the United States to lift sanctions on its largest airline, Aeroflot, as well as to allow the resumption of direct flights between the countries.
First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov said in February that Moscow was ready to restore cooperation with Boeing, which was a major buyer of Russian titanium before the invasion of Ukraine. But the United States left the proposal without an official response.
As per sources, Boeing is also planning a return to the Russian market by allowing airlines to buy planes and resume supplies of spare parts in exchange for titanium, pending an official confirmation.60% of the world's aerospace grade titanium comes from Russia.
Since the start of the invasion, Russia has confiscated around 400 aircraft owned by foreign companies that were leased to Russian airlines. The Russian National Welfare Fund began to pay money for the planes.
Russia allocated 300 billion rubles ($3.7 billion) to buy aircraft from foreign leasing companies to settle claims. Russian airlines purchased 165 Boeing and Airbus aircraft, or about 40% of the total number of aircraft in Russia, RBC reported last year. But there is still a shortage of aircraft and parts for them.
The proposal to resume Boeing sales to Russia comes amid pressure on the American aircraft manufacturer as a result of President Donald Trump's global tariff war. On Tuesday, China, which accounts for a fifth of the world's aircraft shipments, demanded that its airlines stop buying American-made aircraft.
Europe's largest air carrier, Ryanair Holdings, said it could delay Boeing deliveries scheduled for later this year if they are subject to tariffs.
Aeroflot and other Russian airlines do not have access to US and EU airspace, and cannot purchase Boeing and Airbus aircraft, spare parts for them and carry out the necessary maintenance due to sanctions imposed in response to the war.
Worth noting here, Boeing closed its Russian divisions, including a major engineering center, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
