Russia asks US to allow it to buy Boeing planes with frozen funds, – Bloomberg

Russia understands that the frozen funds cannot be used without a ceasefire, the publication’s sources say.

Russia has asked the United States to allow it to buy Boeing aircraft using frozen state assets after a ceasefire in Ukraine, Bloomberg reported , citing a person in Moscow familiar with the matter.

The person told the publication that while the request is not a condition for agreeing to a ceasefire, “Russia understands that frozen funds cannot be used to purchase aircraft without a ceasefire.” At the same time, it is noted that the aircraft purchase agreement could be part of the easing of sanctions in the event of a cessation of hostilities.

“The United States will not discuss any economic commitments until a ceasefire is reached,” National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said in response to a request for comment on whether Russia had indeed made such a request to the United States.

The US State Department declined to comment, Bloomberg reports, and representatives of the Kremlin and Boeing have not yet responded to requests for comment.

The US has about $5 billion in Russian assets, and in total the US and its allies have frozen almost $280 billion in Russian central bank assets.

Russia has also reportedly publicly appealed to the United States to lift sanctions on its flagship airline, Aeroflot, and allow direct flights between the countries to resume. The United States has not yet publicly responded to this offer.

The publication estimates that the prospects for a potential resumption of Boeing sales to Russia are growing as the American aircraft manufacturer comes under pressure in other markets due to tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump, as China has ordered its airlines to stop supplying American-made aircraft.

Bloomberg recalled that since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has been struggling to repair its aircraft due to sanctions. Russian airlines are forced to cannibalize parts for their jets and seek other ways to supply components and service them, potentially compromising safety standards.

As of the beginning of last year, Russian airlines had purchased 165 Boeing and Airbus aircraft, or about 40% of the total Russian fleet, RBC wrote, citing its own calculations.

The publication also indicates that Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov stated in February that Moscow was ready to resume cooperation with Boeing, which was the main buyer of Russian titanium before the invasion of Ukraine.

(C)UNIAN 2025