Russia criticizes US sanctions on arms trader

Russia criticizes US sanctions on arms trader

Russia's foreign minister sharply criticized U.S. sanctions against Russia's state arms trader Friday, saying the move won't make Moscow shift any closer to the U.S. stance on Iran's controversial nuclear program.

The United States has imposed sanctions on the Russian arms monopoly Rosoboronexport along with a dozen of other firms from China, Sudan, Venezuela and other countries for their alleged roles in supplying sensitive technology to Iran, North Korean and Syria.

"If some people in Washington think that such action could make Russia more complaisant to accept the U.S. approaches to settling the Iranian nuclear problem, they are mistaken," Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a news conference.

He denounced the sanctions as an example of the U.S. unilateralism and Washington's attempts to apply its domestic laws to the world.

"It proceeds from the philosophy of the unipolar world," Lavrov said. "Russia will demand an end to such practice that is absolutely incompatible with a modern world order."
He added that Russia's cooperation with Iran and other countries has been in line with the international law.

The U.S. decision and Russia's strong criticism of it reflected a growing chill in bilateral ties, which have been badly strained over U.S. missile defense plans in Poland and the Czech Republic, Russia's war in Georgia and other disputes.

The U.S. State Department said the decision Thursday was made because a U.S. law bans the transfer of technology that may help those nations develop missiles or mass destruction weapons.

The U.S. move ban government agencies from dealing with the firms targeted by the sanctions.
Russia has maintained close ties with Iran and is building its first nuclear power plant in the southern Iranian port of Bushehr, which is expected to go on line next year. Russia has backed limited U.N. sanctions aimed at forcing Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment program, but has staunchly opposed the U.S. push for harsher measures.
Russia has also sold air defense missiles and other weapons to Iran, contracts that have drawn a strong U.S. and Israeli criticism.

Lavrov added the U.S. sanctions will hurt bilateral ties. "We will take this into account in our relations with the United States in the trade and economic and other spheres," Lavrov said.
Rosoboronexport spokesman Vyacheslav Davidenko criticized the move as an attempt to sideline an arms competitor.
"We consider it as another example of unfair competition," he said in remarks broadcast by the state Rossiya television.
The United States has imposed similar sanctions against several Russian companies in the past, including Rosoboronexport in 2006.