Russia asks US to trade Boeing aircraft for $5 billion of frozen assets

One of Russia's proposals in ongoing negotiations with the United States involves the purchase of Boeing commercial aircraft in exchange for access to frozen assets, Bloomberg reports citing a source familiar with the matter.

According to the source, this is not a condition for a ceasefire in Ukraine, but rather one of the points Moscow hopes to pursue after the end of hostilities, as part of a broader easing of Western sanctions. Russian negotiators reportedly understand that any discussion of aircraft sales is off the table while mutual strikes continue.

U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Bryan Hughes told the publication that no economic agreements with Russia would be possible until a ceasefire was in place.

Russia's frozen assets in the United States are estimated at around $5 billion — enough to fund the purchase of dozens of aircraft.

Boeing ceased cooperation with Russia shortly after the conflict in Ukraine began, halting both the sale of new planes and the supply of parts or maintenance services for existing aircraft.

However, the U.S. aerospace giant is now facing financial difficulties, and President Donald Trump's tariff policies could jeopardize its largest contracts. Beijing ordered Chinese airlines to stop purchasing from Boeing, and Europe's largest low-cost carrier, Ryanair, announced that it may delay delivery of 25 jets indefinitely. As a result, a deal with Russia could become an attractive option for Boeing.

In 2022, Russian authorities shifted focus toward replacing foreign-made commercial jets with domestic models. However, as of April 2025, none of the planned aircraft have been delivered. No new Russian model has yet flown in the configuration intended for commercial airlines, and plans to resume production of the Soviet-era Tu-214 have been delayed due to a shortage of engineers.

Another revision of Russia's civil aviation development program is expected by the end of the year, by which time the government hopes to have more clarity on aircraft certification.

Russia and USA may conclude major commercial deal

In February, Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov also deemed it possible to resume cooperation with aircraft manufacturer Boeing. The American company likewise expressed interest in resuming purchases of Russian titanium.

Amid Western sanctions, Russia has been working since 2022 on a program to replace foreign airliners and small aviation aircraft with domestically produced models. The plan is to substitute Boeing and Airbus planes with the SJ-100 (an import-substituted version of the SSJ-100), MC-21, Tu-214, and Il-96-300 aircraft. However, in May of last year, production timelines for all these models were extended.

Russian passenger aircraft no competition to Boeing

None of the new aircraft have yet completed their first flight in the configuration intended for delivery to airlines. Additionally, the production of the Tu-214 — a modernized version of a Soviet-era aircraft — is behind schedule. According to media reports, the push for import substitution and production scaling has led to a shortage of engineers.

The next revision of the civil aviation development program is scheduled for the end of the year, by which time the government expects greater clarity on aircraft certification.

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The Boeing Company, or simply Boeing, is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product support services. Boeing is among the largest global aerospace manufacturers; it is the fourth-largest defense contractor in the world based on 2022 revenue and is the largest exporter in the United States by dollar value. Boeing was founded by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington, on July 15, 1916. The present corporation is the result of the merger of Boeing with McDonnell Douglas on August 1, 1997. As of 2023, the Boeing Company's corporate headquarters is located in the Crystal City neighborhood of Arlington County, Virginia. The company is organized into three primary divisions: Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA), Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS), and Boeing Global Services (BGS). In 2021, Boeing recorded $62.3 billion in sales. Boeing is ranked 54th on the Fortune 500 list (2020), and ranked 121st on the Fortune Global 500 list (2020).