In een
artikel met de titel: ‘It’s the Economy, Stupid’: What Really Drives US
Sanctions against Russia‘, stelt schrijver Arkady Savitsky (wat mij
betreft) ten overvloede dat de sancties van de VS opgelegd aan
Rusland, puur zijn ingegeven door (commercieel) eigenbelang.

Zo heeft
Trump Duitsland meermaals de wacht aangezegd te stoppen met het
Nord Stream 2 (NS2) project, een gaspijpleiding van Rusland naar
Duitsland, die niet over de grond van corrupte Oost-Europese staten als Oekraïne
wordt aangelegd, maar deels door o.a. de Oostzee. Waar Trump uiteraard de EU wil dwingen haar peperdure LNG te
kopen, gas dat met tankers moet worden aangevoerd….. 

De Trump administratie wil dit om nog
enigszins de kosten terug te kunnen verdienen van de zwaar
gesubsidieerde winning van schaliegas in de VS……. Een winning waarin de kosten niet eens zijn berekend voor het verrampeneerde landschap, de vervuiling van de
ondergrond en grondwater, plus het lozen van enorme hoeveelheden
zwaar verontreinigd water in rivieren, dan wel direct in de
oceaan…….

Het VS ministerie van handel heeft 12 Russische firma’s genoemd die de ‘nationale veiligheid in gevaar zouden brengen’ en handelen ‘tegen het VS buitenlandbeleid….’ Daarbij zou je denken aan firma’s die het Pentagon en het ministerie van buitenlandse zaken hebben gehackt, echter de zaak steekt ‘iets anders’ in elkaar. 

Savitsky
noemt het schaliegas verhaal niet, hij richt zich op de bescherming van de VS bedrijven in de
vliegtuigbouw, dus bedrijven als Boeing. Zoals gezegd gaat het niet hacken of andere vormen van spionage, zelfs niet om de
militaire tak van de luchtvaart, maar om de industrie voor de burgerluchtvaart, daar men in
Rusland plannen heeft voor het bouwen van vliegtuigen die de
concurrentie aangaan met o.a. bestaande VS toestellen.

Al is
het natuurlijk meer dan duidelijk dat de VS Rusland bankroet wil
helpen, iets dat de VS nog niet in 100 jaar zal lukken, daarvoor
heeft Rusland (gelukkig) veel te veel grondstoffen. De VS wil de
machtigste staat op de wereld blijven en aan die stoelpoten wordt
gezaagd door zowel Rusland als China, vandaar deze meer dan
belachelijke sancties, die in feite zijn gebaseerd op door de VS zelf
bedachte leugens en de door de VS zelf georganiseerde opstand en coup
in Oekraïne…… Of het enorme aantal leugens over de oorlog in Syrië, een oorlog waarvoor de VS de hoofdverantwoordelijke is……. Leugens en acties die met grote graagte worden
verspreid en gevolgd door de reguliere westerse (massa-) media en de hielenlikkers van de VS, waaronder de
EU lidstaten, het enige land in de EU dat daar nog enige kritiek op heeft is de Duitse premier Merkel……

ARKADY
SAVITSKY |
29.09.2018 | WORLD / AMERICAS

‘It’s
the Economy, Stupid’: What Really Drives US Sanctions Against
Russia

The
US Department of Commerce has
imposed restrictions on
12 Russian corporations that are “acting
contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the
US.” The
notice has been published in the Federal
Register.
US corporations are banned from exporting dual-use goods to the
sanctioned companies.

A
closer look at the list makes one wonder. The companies under fire
have no relation to defense production and have no ties at all with
the Russian Ministry of Defense. None of them have signed any
contracts with the military. AeroComposite, part of Russia’s
state-run United
Aircraft Corporation,
produces wings for the civilian MC-21 airliner, Aviadvigatel produces
engines for military aviation, it has neither technology nor
experience to get involved in defense projects, Divetechnoservice is
a civilian diving equipment producer, Nilco Group deals in grain, oil
products, steel, wood, port services, paper, electronic parts and
cement.

It’s
not the military the US aims at this time. The real target is Russian
civil aviation, which is on the rise. It’s enough to remember that
as soon as Aeroflot Company announced its plans to acquire 100
Superjet SSJ-100 airliners instead of American Boeings, the US
Treasury said it
was considering the possibility of introducing sanctions against the
Russian company Sukhoi, allegedly because its combat planes may have
been used in Syrian chemical attacks. 

A
closer look at the blacklist shows the US has sanctioned those who
are involved in the production of civilian airliner Irkut MC-21.
Aviadvigatel is to supply PD-14 and PD-35 engines, which cannot power
combat planes. AeroComposite, a producer of composites, is
responsible for the development and creation of the composite wing
for the aircraft. The MC-21 will be the world’s first airliner with
a capacity of more than 130 passengers to have composite-based wings.
The estimated share of composites in the overall design is 40%. So
far, the company has produced composite parts only for MC-21 and no
other aircraft.

True,
the share of Russia-produced components is growing. Russia belongs to
the club of the chosen. There are few aviation engines and composite
wings producers in the world. The US wants no competitors. The way to
deal with the problem is a sanctions war waged under the pretext of
fending off imaginary threats to national security instead of fair
competition.

The
US aims to strike the soft underbelly. Russia does buy some
components for the MC-21’s black wing abroad. Black wing is
specific revolutionary knowhow to radically enhance the aircraft’s
performance and make the new plane attractive for foreign customers.
The vacuum infusion technology used for mass production is a
breakthrough achievement. The Irkut is the only aircraft in the world
to combine a composite wing with a narrow-body. Today, only wide-body
aircraft boast composite wings.

Russia-produced
composite materials make the aircraft lighter and consequently
cheaper. Carbon fiber and binders may be a problem if sanctions are
in place. The US Commerce Department knows where to hit.

Engines
are also a problem. Until now MC-21s have been powered by Pratt &
Whitney engines. The PD-14 – the first new engine built in Russia
since the Soviet Union’s break-up ­– is ready to take their
place. It is 100 percent Russia-made. The PD-14 is going through
tests with serial production expected to start this year. With PD-14
operational, MC-21 will have an advantage over the competitors –
A320 and Boeing-737.

Avionics
is where Russia is lagging behind. Progress is there but it’s still
a weak point. The aircraft’s production depends on Rockwell
Collins. Honeywell, UTC Aerospace Systems, Goodrich Corporation,
Hamilton Sundstrand, Eaton, French Thales, British Meggitt, Swedish
CTT System and Israeli Elbit – each of them exports components for
the new Russian airliner.

It’s
impossible to substitute all the imported parts in one fell
swoop. The production of all the needed equipment in Russia will
take time and effort. At the same time it would greatly spur the
Russian airspace industry. Some components could be purchased in
other countries, such as China, to give the industry time to meet the
challenge. The worst outcome is a two-year delay in mass production
of MC-21. It’s sad but Russia can live with that.

The
other consequence – the US sanctions in place can scare customers
away. That’s the main goal the US is pursuing. The message is
“Don’t buy Russian even if it’s civilian products, be on the
safe side.” With no demand on the world market, the project may not
survive. This is the way to nip the Russian competitor in the bud.

The
sanctions will also negatively impact the plans to build a
Russia-Chinese wide-body airliner. Aviadvigatel is developing new
engine specifically for this plane. Its PD-35 will have no analogues
in the world. The project is the first and only challenge to the
monopoly of Boeing and Airbus. Russia is the only competitor with
experience of its own. The Soviet Union has built the Il-96, a
four-engined long-haul wide-body airliner
designed by Ilyushin.
That’s why China joined Russia in the effort – it needs its
expertise. The last thing the US wants is to see this project come
into life. It praises free market until its monopoly is preserved.
The emergence of competitors makes America forget its principles and
shift to protectionist policy. International agreements and the rules
of WTO become immediately forgotten. The Russia’s technological
progress is met with punitive measures.

Forget
about Crimea, Ukraine, Syria, the Skripal poisoning story and other
things not even mentioned by President Trump in his address to
the UN Security Council on September 27. The US uses pressure to
eliminate competitors and do away with any hope for fair competition.
Washington protects Boeing by resorting to the policy of twisting
arms.
On September 24, the EU, Russia, China and Iran met on the sidelines
of the UN General Assembly to agree on introducing a special purpose
vehicle (SPV) to counter US sanctions against Iran. That’s the
first and a very significant step to repel the US attacks.

The
EU, Russia, China and other nations face a common threat. They can
unite and on their own rules while creating their own markets
protected from American pressure with fair competition as the basic
principle. If the US wants to be isolated, let it. It’s free to
choose its fate but so are others. The time has come to teach the
bully a lesson.

Tags: Sanctions