Moscow Times reported that the President of the US Chamber of Commerce in Russia (AmCham Russia) Mr. Robert Agee is calling for the lifting of sanctions on Moscow's aviation industry, including the provision of replacement parts and technical assistance to prevent potential plane crashes.
In an interview with RBC, Mr. Agee emphasized that this is not just a business ambition but also a humanitarian need. Agee explained that ordinary citizens are the ones hardest hit.
Mr. Agee said that AmCham Russia is also mobilizing to lift investment ban on US companies in Russia as well as sanctions against Russian banks to restore cross-border payments and resume the supply of luxury goods.
Mr. Agee revealed that AmCham Russia is drafting a document analyzing the challenges that US companies are facing over the past 3 years and detailing which sanctions deeply affect these units to send to the US government.
According to the Moscow Times, AmCham Russia's call comes as US President Donald Trump is conducting talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on ending the conflict in Ukraine. This was described by the Kremlin as a potential stepping stone in restoring bilateral relations.
Previously, according to an unnamed source collected by Reuters, the White House had directed the US Department of State and the US Treasury Department to make a list of entities and individuals that could ease sanctions.
The list will be used by US officials in upcoming discussions with Russian partners as part of broader diplomatic and economic talks, the source said.
The Kremlin later said that sanctions easing is a precondition for normalizing US-Russia relations.
Agee estimates that about 150 US companies have left Russia, while several of their equivalent continue to operate there. About 50 other companies have been officially registered in Russia.
Late last month, CNN reported that the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Russian negotiators had asked US partners to consider reopening US airspace to Russian aircraft and restoring direct flights between the two countries.
The request was made by Russia during a second meeting with the US in Istanbul ( Turkey) on February 27. The two countries discussed their diplomatic missions.
The Washington government said that Russian and US officials have had constructive discussions, but did not specifically mention Russia's request to resume direct flights between the two countries.
Kiev's allies, including the United States, Canada, the European Union (EU) and other Western countries, have banned Russian aircraft from entering their airspace immediately after Moscow launched a special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022.
In retaliation, Russia has closed airspace to dozens of countries, although at the time, most Western airlines had suspended flights through Russia.
