MOSCOW, May 22 (RIA Novosti) – Russia sees no future prospects for cooperating with the United States in delivering additional Mi-17V-5 helicopters to Afghanistan, a representative of state arms exporter Rosoboronexport said Thursday.
"We see no further prospects of cooperation with the Americans, especially since they are planning to leave Afghanistan," Vladislav Kuzmichev told RIA Novosti at the HeliRussia 2014 expo.
It was reported yesterday that Russia was ready to send another batch of nine Mi-17V-5 helicopters to Afghanistan.
Russia has already delivered a total of 45 of the military transport helicopters to Afghanistan. The first contract for the supply of 21 helicopters was signed in 2011 by the Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport and the US government and has already been completed.
In 2013, Russia finished delivering 12 additional Mi-17V-5 helicopters under a 2012 option. Later that year, Rosoboronexport signed another contract for the delivery of 30 helicopters. The overall contracts for the 63 Mi-17V-5 helicopters are estimated to be worth around $1.3 billion.
In light of the Ukrainian crisis, the US and EU imposed sanctions against Russia. Following the decision, lobbyists tried to nullify the contract for helicopters, but the Pentagon refused, saying that the existing contract must be executed.
Moreover, the Pentagon opposed sanctions against Rosoboronexport. As a result, the company remains unaffected by the Western sanctions.
