US Wants to ‘Push’ Russia From Military Market by New Sanctions

The first deputy chairman of the Federation Council's Committee for International Affairs claims that new US sanctions against a number of Russian companies are caused by Washington's desire to move Russia from the defense market, but it will have little negative impact on the companies.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — New US sanctions against a number of Russian companies are caused by Washington's desire to move Russia from the defense market, but it will have little negative impact on the companies, Vladimir Dzhabarov, the first deputy chairman of the Federation Council's Committee for International Affairs, told Sputnik on Saturday.

Earlier in the day, US State Department representative told Sputnik that the United States had imposed sanctions against eight Russian companies in connection with the Iran, North Korea, and Syria Nonproliferation Act (INKSNA).

"It’s about US-Russian relations, to put it simply, [they] want to move Russia from this [defense industry] market, to push aside," Dzhabarov said.

Dzhabarov stressed that it is unlikely that these sanctions would damage the Russian companies against which they had been imposed.

"I do not think that we will be seriously affected, we have almost no business with the American market," the lawmaker explained.

According to Dzhabarov, Russia should not think about response measures, and that the defense industry companies will continue to operate as before.