Rosatom CEO Compares US Sanctions to Award List

The US admission in the wording of the sanctions that Rosatom is involved in developing advanced technologies makes them look like a citation, Likhachev said. Moscow considers the sanctions illegal Alexey Likhachev

The sanctions against the management of Rosatom, which the US Treasury Department announced on January 10, look more like a citation than a decision on restrictions. This was stated to journalists by the state corporation's CEO Alexey Likhachev on the sidelines of the high-level Russian-Vietnamese business dialogue in Hanoi.

According to him, the new sanctions "contain not only negative emotions inside." Likhachev recalled the wording that the American side used as justification.

"I mean, first of all, the wording that the US Treasury Department laid out, I will quote verbatim, that we are included in the sanctions for the development of advanced nuclear technologies, the export of nuclear power plants, the development of non-nuclear areas of activity, including new materials. This is more like an award sheet than a sanctions decision. And in this there is, in my opinion, I would say, a recording of our achievements, merits," Likhachev said.

A similar formulation is contained in the US State Department's announcement on tightening sanctions. In particular, it states that the management of the state corporation that fell under them "promotes Rosatom's participation in the Russian nuclear weapons complex and defense sector," the construction of nuclear power plants abroad, the development of advanced technologies and materials, etc.

Another important aspect of this decision, Likhachev said, was the inclusion of almost the entire Rosatom management in the SDN sanctions list.

"It seems that the US Treasury has studied our value, we have such a value - a united team. So we were all included in these sanctions as a united team. It is clear that for us, for me, for my comrades, there is no practical significance. We do not have any assets, accounts, etc. in the United States of America. Therefore, this is more a demonstration of an unfriendly recognition of our merits," Likhachev said.

Inclusion on the SDN list entails the blocking of all assets owned by the person or company located in the United States. It also entails a ban on U.S. persons from interacting with sanctioned persons in any way, including receiving from them, providing to them or on their behalf money, goods or services.

In response to a question about whether the inclusion of Rosatom's management in the US sanctions list would complicate the dialogue with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as well as the work of the organization's missions in Russia, including in the area of ​​the Zaporizhzhya NPP, Likhachev said that negotiations are currently proceeding normally. They are being conducted with the participation of several departments on the Russian side - not only Rosatom, but also the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Russian National Guard.

"I won't take it upon myself to judge how the decision made by the Americans will affect the position of the IAEA leadership itself, but I can immediately emphasize that the decision published on January 10 is a decision addressed to citizens. This is a personal decision," explained the CEO of Rosatom.

The state corporation believes that the US decision will not affect cooperation in the peaceful nuclear sector, Likhachev continued. It cannot be said that Rosatom "was or was not waiting" for the decision on sanctions; the company understood that the restrictions have been constantly updated over the past three years, he said.

"We live by the principle of 'we don't change our goals, we change ourselves' - implementing different scenarios for achieving different tasks. <...> Therefore, frankly speaking, we do not feel or plan any serious changes in our practical activities," he concluded.

On January 10, the United States announced the most significant sanctions against the Russian energy sector. The restrictions affected oil companies such as Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegaz, as well as more than two dozen of their subsidiaries, tankers and insurers. Among the individuals on the sanctions list were Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev, his first deputies Kirill Komarov and Alexander Lokshin and three deputy general directors: for mechanical engineering - Andrey Nikipelov, for economics and finance - Ilya Rebrov, and director of the Northern Sea Route Directorate Vyacheslav Ruksha.

Rosatom called sanctions against top managers an element of unfair competition. Moscow considers the restrictions illegal.

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