Meanwhile, a Rosoboronexport spokesperson told Sputnik on Thursday that the US Department of Defense has not imposed any new restrictions on the Russian arms exporter and that all the prohibitions were introduced long ago.
The spokesperson added that the restriction issue had come into the limelight in the context of the approval of the Pentagon's budget.
Several Russian companies, including Rosoboronexport, have been targeted by US sanctions since the deterioration of relations between Moscow and Washington caused by the Ukrainian crisis.
The arms exporter has been put on the list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List of the US Office of Foreign Assets Control, which prohibits US citizens and companies from doing business with them.
RIA: Nothing new: Rosoboronexport US responded to ban work with the Pentagon https://t.co/sg2IEftyYp pic.twitter.com/vIOtAe5o2j
— Russian Exercises (@RUSexercises) 9 марта 2017 г.
Speaking to Sputnik, Russian military expert Ivan Konovalov recalled that in December 2016, the US slightly eased sanctions it hadslapped on Rosoboronexport, allowing the purchase of special digital equipment used within the framework of the implementation of the Treaty on Open Skies.
"But in general, the sanctions have been effective so far. Nevertheless, the Pentagon continued to purchase Russian Mi-17 helicopters, which are needed in Afghanistan. If the sanctions machine starts to work now, it will be Americans who will lose, by and large. Russian will not lose anything," Konovalov said.
He suggested that "as a retaliatory measure, Russia can stop selling its RD-180 rocket engines to the Americans, who he said have no alternative.
"I doubt that they will abandon the RD-180 because they allocated scarce sums for the development of their own engines," Konovalov said, casting doubt on Washington' desire to stop its space program pending the development of domestically-made rocket engines.
The Russian expert also pointed to "the big game which is under way on the domestic field of the US, where President Donald Trump is struggling to create his team in the face of US lawmakers' opposition.
He recalled that "Trump recently resolved a serious problem pertaining to the fifth generation US aircraft F-35."
"He just pressed the plane manufacturers to slash a price tag for the aircraft and they finally yielded to his demand. The same situation is developing with Rosoboronexport and the US Congress may backtrack on its decision when necessary," Konovalov concluded.
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