The State Duma called the US sanctions against Aeroflot a stupid decision

The US decision to impose sanctions against the Russian airline Aeroflot was stupid, and Russia's proposal to lift them is a good and sensible initiative. Anatoly Aksakov, chairman of the State Duma Committee on the Financial Market, told Izvestia on April 11.

"I think it was a stupid decision, and if they cancel it, then it's absolutely the right thing to do. <...> There are many reasonable solutions that lie on the surface. I hope that sanity will prevail and these decisions will be made and implemented," he said.

Aksakov also expressed hope that the ongoing Russian-American negotiations concerning not only the Ukrainian conflict, but also the normalization of bilateral relations, would bear fruit.

Special diplomatic mission: Russia and the United States are moving away from Biden's legacy

Moscow and Washington discussed the restoration of embassy staff and direct flights, and exchanged prisoners.

Earlier in the day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a press conference following a meeting of the Council of CIS Foreign Ministers in Alma Ata that Russia had proposed that the United States remove Aeroflot from the sanctions list for the further resumption of flights between the countries. He clarified that the Russian side recalled this proposal at a meeting in Istanbul on April 10.

On April 3, Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and special presidential envoy for investment and economic cooperation with Foreign countries, said that Russia and the United States were working to resume direct flights between the two countries.