The United States on 23.10.2008 had introduced new unilateral sanctions against Rosoboronexport, Russia’s leading arms exporter. The company sees the move as part of dishonest competition aimed at fostering U.S. firms on the international arms market.

Similar sanctions were imposed against a number of companies in Venezuela, China, North and South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and Syria on charges of disseminating technologies or materials that might be used to create weapons of mass destruction and means of their delivery, including ballistic missiles. Alleged violations of the U.S. law on arms non-proliferation with respect to Iran, North Korea and Syria were used as a formal pretext for imposing the sanctions.

Voice of Russia quoted Rosoboronexport’s official spokesman Vyacheslav Davidenko saying that “The sanctions that have been repeatedly imposed by the United States against Rosoboronexport, Russia’s only state-owned arms trader, are being qualified as dishonest competition. Reports about these latest sanctions are currently being analyzed and official comments are being prepared.”

The fact that Rosoboronexport is charged with violating a U.S. internal law is part of efforts to make foreign companies play according to American rules. It’s worth noting in this connection that Russian arms exporters always act in strict compliance both with the domestic legislation and international law, including Russia’s commitments in the sphere of nuclear non-proliferation and arms export control.