Politico: U.S. tries to prevent airplane parts from reaching Russia via Belavia
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The United States is trying to prevent the lifting of sanctions against the Belarusian airline Belavia spare parts for airplanes did not reach Russian airlines. About writes Politico.

On September 11, Washington officially lifted restrictions on Belavia after Minsk released 52 political prisoners. This allows the Belarusian carrier to purchase aircraft parts for its fleet of 16 aircraft, nine of which are Boeing.

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However, the U.S. Department of Commerce emphasized that the permit does not apply to flights to Russia and a number of other countries and regions under sanctions.

"This agreement does not permit flights to Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Syria, the temporarily occupied Crimea, or the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics of Ukraine," reads a letter from the U.S. Department of Commerce to Belavia CEO Ihor Chergintsy.

Nevertheless, on September 15, Belavia announced a 50% discount on flights to St. Petersburg.

"The US ban is a formal note. There is no way to check what is happening in the Russia+ customs union, which includes Belarus," said Elina Ribakova, Head of the KSH International Program and a fellow at the Bruegel think tank in Brussels.

The US decision also caused disagreements with the European Union, which has strict restrictions on servicing Belarusian companies.

Brussels reminded that the bloc's member states are obliged to ensure that supplies to Belarus are not used to circumvent sanctions.

Now the final decision on the sale of Belavia's parts is up to the manufacturers, Boeing and Airbus. Airbus said it would act exclusively within the framework of international law and sanctions regimes.