U.S. sanctions against two Russian state companies

RIAN

Moscow has condemned a move by the United States to impose sanctions on two state-owned Russian companies over their alleged cooperation with Venezuela Iran, Russia's Foreign Ministry said Friday in a statement.

The ministry said the U.S. State Department had announced earlier in the day the introduction of sanctions against Russia's state arms exporter Rosoboronexport and state-owned aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi.

"Our companies stand accused of violating the Iran Nonproliferation Act of 2000," the statement said. "We consider these actions by the U.S. State Department unacceptable."

"Russian companies cooperating with other countries in the military-technical sphere are acting in strict compliance with the rules of international law, as well as Russian law, including Russia's obligations on nuclear nonproliferation and export control," it said. Link

db: This would have absolutely nothing to do with those Russian companies selling $2.5 billion of combat planes and helicopters to Hugo Chavez would it?

Hugo Chavez, the president of Venezuela, ended a three-day visit to Russia yesterday by hailing "a strategic alliance" with Moscow that he said had released his country from a US military stranglehold.

... According to Russia's state arms export company, Rosoboronexport, Venezuela has spent more than 1.6 billion pounds on arms - from combat planes and helicopters to small arms - over the past three years.

.... Tom Casey, a US State Department spokesman, this week reiterated concerns over the Russian weapons sales ..."We repeatedly talked to the Russian government [to say] that the arms purchases planned by Venezuela exceeded its defensive needs and are not helpful in terms of regional stability," Mr Casey said. He singled out the supply of 30 Sukhoi Su-30 fighter-bombers as a particular source of worry. Link