Pragmatic Talks Underway to Restore Air Traffic Between Russia and the US

Air service between Russia and the United States may resume by the end of 2025, Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and special representative of the president for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries, said in an interview with Rossiya 1.

"We see very strong interest, including from the American side, in resuming direct flights. […] Very pragmatic direct discussions are underway. We hope this issue can be positively resolved this year,” he noted.

Dmitriev made this comment following a business breakfast with members of the American Chamber of Commerce during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

He also mentioned that the Chamber is working on the issue of resuming shipments of aircraft parts to Russia.

The U.S. closed its airspace to Russian planes in March 2022. Around 30 other countries, including EU members, made similar decisions. Russia responded with retaliatory measures.

Furthermore, Western countries banned supplying aircraft, components, and maintenance services to Russian companies for planes already delivered.

Moscow considers these sanctions illegal.

U.S. Energy Companies Want to Return to Russia

Dmitriev also added that U.S. energy companies want to return to the Russian market and suggested that they might be given minority stakes in various oil and gas projects.

"We believe that step by step, such absolutely foolish restrictions, which the [former U. S. President Joe] Biden administration imposed out of sheer malice, will gradually become a thing of the past,” said the head of the RDIF.

In March, Robert Agee, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia, told RBC which sanctions American (and foreign) businesses in Russia wanted to be lifted first. He primarily named bans on servicing Western passenger planes in Russia and restrictions on supplies of aircraft parts. He also listed investment bans, sanctions on Russian banks, and others.