Macron Urged Canada to Ease Russia Titanium Sanctions to Aid Airbus

French President Emmanuel Macron’s intervention to persuade Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to grant relief to Airbus and other aerospace firms from sanctions on Russian titanium has sparked controversy and political disputes. The sensitive request was made during a phone call between the two leaders in March, leading to a high-level scramble to keep Russian titanium flowing.

Macron’s significant effort to convince Trudeau to grant an exemption for European companies involved passing many messages at all levels, according to sources close to the French leader. The lobbying effort also received support from at least one other European government.

The initial decision by Canada to ban imports from Russia’s state-backed VSMPO-AVISMA caught the aerospace industry off guard, leading to a series of fraught calls to Ottawa. Airbus, in particular, found itself in the front line, as all landing gear for its premier A350-1000 jet comes from a single factory in Ontario.

The decision by Canada to grant waivers to Airbus and others after initially standing firm highlights the challenges Western nations face in punishing Russia without disrupting critical supply chains. The industry’s dependence on strategic materials from exporting countries like Russia and China poses a dilemma for aerospace firms, as highlighted by the recent dispute over Russian titanium.