Russia responds to US sanctions

Russian media reports that the Russian government is taking steps to alleviate secondary arms buyers’ fears of US sanctions.

According to the Moscow Times (which publishes articles in English written originally for the Vedomosti newspaper), a new decree would ‘relax export control rules that required secondary arms buyers to inform Russia in writing that it was the final buyer.’

It says: ‘These countries can now avoid direct contact with Russia by making the primary arms buyer responsible for informing Moscow that the secondary buyer vows not to resell the weapons.’

The newspaper quotes an explanatory note as saying, ‘Foreign states voice interest in buying Russian military products but, fearing sanctions, refuse to purchase them,’ and that ‘Russia’s relaxed regulations will free up Sub-Saharan African, Latin American and certain Southeast Asian states to purchase small arms and light weapons from Russia without fear of secondary sanctions, according to arms expert Konstantin Makienko.’

Makienko, the newspaper reports, said that the measures ‘do not target China, India, Egypt, Algeria and Vietnam, which either ignore U.S. sanctions or negotiate exceptions for themselves.’