© Russian Defence Ministry/TASS

Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, July 21st, prepared by TASS

Western countries simultaneously tighten sanctions against Moscow; neither Russia nor US has any grounds to denounce New START Treaty; and Kiev attempting to bring Islamabad over to its side. These stories topped Friday’s newspaper headlines across Russia.

Kommersant: West continues sanctions spree against Russia with latest restrictions

The European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States and Canada all simultaneously expanded sanctions against Russian individuals and legal entities. Washington, in particular, added some 120 individuals and organizations to its blacklist, alleging that they were supporting the special military operation in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Canada became the first country to impose sanctions on all four of Russia's mobile telecommunications providers. Although those on the blacklists believe that the latest sanctions have had little impact on their business given Russia's already existing level of isolation, lawyers argue that the newest sanctions will still have a significant negative impact, Kommersant writes.

The July 20 sanctions affected Russia's technology sector, among others. Canada specifically targeted Russian mobile telecom operators MTS, VimpelCom, MegaFon and Tele2, as well as Yandex Pay. The US Treasury Department sanctioned former Russian Finance Minister and Accounts Chamber Chairman Alexey Kudrin, who is currently a business development advisor at Yandex. The sanctions also applied to companies involved in the development and import of electronics, components and equipment.

According to a Kommersant source close to a radio electronics manufacturer, the sanctions in 2022-2023 have led market players to resort to engaging in "parallel import." "However, the [newest] sanctions will not prevent them from continuing their work, as for each company that is sanctioned, 25 new entities will open up to carry on operations," the source said.

The Mir payment system was also added to the Canadian blacklist. However, according to Roman Prokhorov, board chairman at the Financial Innovations Association, "the impact of the sanctions on the Mir payment system, which already has a fairly limited presence abroad, can be considered negligible."

Legal experts have made varying assumptions about the intent behind such a "concentrated strike" due to the mass nature of the new sanctions announced on July 20. Roman Khaminsky, managing partner of the BKHK law firm, noted that Western countries share a "general consensus" on anti-Russian sanctions policy, and the more powerful the country, the more influential the example. Artem Kasumyan, a lawyer at the Delcredere Bar Association, added that if identical sanctions are imposed in several countries simultaneously, their scope "significantly expands, which simplifies the situation for law enforcement agencies in their interactions with each other."

Izvestia: No grounds seen for New START denunciation by Washington or Moscow - diplomat

Any denunciation by Russia of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) is absolutely out of the question, as it remains the most critical component in ensuring world peace and stability, Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, said in an interview with Izvestia. He also discussed the future of the New START Treaty, which Moscow has suspended. The ambassador emphasized that none of the parties have any reason to withdraw from the agreement because its potential has not been exhausted.

Speaking about the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Ulyanov noted, "I can state unequivocally that Russia's rejection of this treaty is out of the question. It would not only be dangerous, but also stupid. On the contrary, this pact needs to be strengthened. Activities for the next review cycle of the NPT will begin on Monday, here in Vienna."

Responding to a question about whether one of the parties could denounce the New START Treaty before the agreement expires, he said, "There is not the slightest reason for either Washington or Moscow to denounce New START today." The diplomat stated that Moscow has also highlighted that the treaty's potential for preserving strategic stability has not been exhausted but, that in order to use it, the US must drastically alter its policy stance toward Russia. "We don't see the necessity for any more drastic measures. This has not yet been seen by the United States either," he said.

Ulyanov also added that a new accord may emerge over time to replace the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), but that this issue is not currently on the table.

Izvestia: Putin launches LNG plant line in Russia's Murmansk Region

The Arctic LNG 2 natural gas liquefaction project will be commissioned on schedule, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on July 20 during a ceremony for launching the completed first LNG operating line on a floating pontoon along the Northern Sea Route. According to Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, Russia stands to boost LNG production from 33 mln metric tons to 53 mln metric tons over the next three years thanks to the facility. Experts estimate that the new project's natural reserves will last for decades, Izvestia writes.

Russia has already learned how to work under sanctions and, in spite of such restrictions, continues to sell oil and oil products around the world, Novak told Izvestia. He is equally confident that there will be ample buyers for Russia’s liquefied natural gas as well given that it is a huge market that is in an expansion phase.

"Over the last five years, global LNG consumption has increased by nearly 40%, and growth will continue because LNG is a highly environmentally friendly, reliable, and logistically accessible source of energy," Novak said. "Russia now generates 33 mln metric tons of LNG. During the implementation of this project, we will achieve 53 mln metric tons over the following three years, in addition to a service project for 13 mln metric tons," he told the newspaper.

The Arctic zone is strategically significant for Russia, according to Vladimir Putin, both in terms of defense as well as in the capacity of a resource base. Arctic LNG 2's first line will reach its intended capacity in January-March 2024, according to Novatek Board Chairman Leonid Mikhelson.

Nezavisimaya Gazeta: Kiev attempting to draw Islamabad into conflict with Moscow

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba is paying a visit to Pakistan, marking the first visit at the foreign ministerial level since the two nations established diplomatic relations in 1993. The trip is part of Kiev’s current diplomatic charm offensive aimed at garnering support from Global South nations to augment its loyal cheerleading squad among Western countries, Nezavisimaya Gazeta writes.

Kuleba met with Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and is expected to meet with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. According to the Pakistani Foreign Ministry, the visit is likely to help improve bilateral ties.

According to experts, however, Pakistan is most likely to maintain its neutrality as regards the Ukraine crisis, especially since the country purchases Russian oil at a discount. Moreover, Islamabad’s previous accords on economic cooperation with Moscow remain in effect.

"Kiev wants to show that it is supported by a large number of countries, and Pakistan is crucial in this respect. After all, it is an Islamic country. Does Ukraine have many supporters among Islamic countries? Virtually none. As for the transfer of weapons to Kiev, it is well known that Ukraine sold tanks to Pakistan in the 1990s, and now Kiev supposedly would like to get them back. This is unlikely because such obsolete military equipment would still need to be repaired," Sergey Velichkin, associate professor at the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry, told Nezavisimaya Gazeta.

Vedomosti: Kyrgyzstan to start checking exports to Russia to ward off threatened sanctions

In response to Washington's threats to impose sanctions on Kyrgyz individuals and companies in order to stem the flow of dual-use goods to Russia, Kyrgyzstan's State Committee for National Security has promised to conduct investigations to uncover such individuals and structures, Vedomosti writes. Previously, Washington has imposed restrictions on CIS companies for attempting to evade export controls. In April, one Armenian and two Uzbek companies were placed under sanctions.

According to Kyrgyz political analyst Mars Sariev, the national security committee's investigation of private companies is clearly the result of the US administration's pressure on Bishkek. According to the expert, Kyrgyzstan was chosen as an experimental test case target in an effort to warn Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Earlier, in March and April, delegations from the United States, European Union and United Kingdom visited the Kyrgyz capital in an attempt to persuade local authorities to tighten export controls, but these visits yielded no results, the expert said.

"I believe that in the near future Kyrgyzstan will publicly punish some private companies and limit the supply of certain sensitive goods to Russia. However, the matter will be limited to this, and Bishkek will continue its trade and economic relations with Moscow," the analyst said.

According to Vladimir Matyagin, president of Gruzavtotrans, a national road freight transport association, Kyrgyzstan's partial withdrawal from the dual-use supply chain would not have any significant impact on the Russian economy.