US sanctions against two Russian arms firms could hurt US jetmaker Boeing's chances of winning a major contract with Russian flagship carrier Aeroflot, Russian newspapers said on Monday. "It's quite possible that preference will now be given to the Europeans — the Airbus company… The Americans' lost profits, according to our experts, could be more than one billion dollars," the Vremya Novostei daily said.
Aeroflot is set to announce the results of a tender for the purchase around 22 jets in the coming days, Russian newspapers said, adding that Airbus was now the favoured choice.
"The termination of the deal with Boeing would mean that the Kremlin has given the go-ahead to further confrontation with the United States," Kommersant said.
Washington said last Friday that planemaker Sukhoi and arms export monopoly Rosoboronexport were subject to sanctions for providing Iran with equipment that could be used to develop missile systems or weapons of mass destruction.
In an article entitled "Boeing Cut Off From Russia," the Vedomosti business daily warned the sanctions also hit Boeing's business with Russian titanium maker VSMPO-Avisma.
Rosoboronexport, a growing industrial conglomerate headed up by a close associate of President Vladimir Putin, is planning to take a controlling stake in VSMPO-Avisma.
"It's impossible to find alternatives to Russian supplies" of titanium, Vedomosti cited Konstantin Makienko, an analyst from the Moscow-based Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, as saying.
Kommersant warned that the sanctions could also hamper a bid by US energy majors Chevron and ConocoPhillips to win a contract for the massive Shtokman gas field project off northwest Russia.
Source: Agence France-Presse
