MOSCOW, December 22. /TASS/. Russia’s space corporation Roscosmos is going to demand explanations from the US Department of Commerce why its affiliates - TsNIImash and space rocket center Progress - have come under the latest US sanctions.
"As far as the US Department of Commerce - the instigator and architect of all sanctions - is concerned, we will dispatch a query to demand explanations why such measures are being taken. In other words, we will try to clear up the situation," Roscosmos CEO Dmitry Rogozin said in an interview to the Ekho Moskvy radio station.
He warned that if such steps yielded no results, Roscosmos would take measures to protect its branches from pressure. Rogozin said he had forwarded a message to NASA Administrator James Bridenstine with a request for making the situation clear. Also, he contacted his colleagues in the administration and the Senate.
"If NASA wants to cooperate with us, they are obliged to say something in a situation like this. We expect them to take action," he said.
The US Department of Commerce on Monday imposed sanctions on a number of Russian and Chinese enterprises, including Russia’s TsNIIMash and space rocket corporation Progress. Washington argues that the blacklisted economic entities cooperate with both countries’ armed forces. The measure prohibits the organizations in question from acquiring a number of US goods and technologies. There are 58 Chinese organizations and 45 Russian ones on the list.