The U.S. is not going to impose direct sanctions against Russian flagship carrier Aeroflot, a high ranking official of the US State Department said on Thursday, TASS reported.

He was speaking at a telephone briefing for European journalists, organized by the US Embassy in Brussels.

According to him, the sanctions will apply to export of national security sensitive control items to Russian state owned or state funded companies.

The official said that the sanctions will apply to Aeroflot "to the degree that Aeroflot is a Russian state owned or state funded company and to the degree that anyone applies for an export license to supply goods that are controlled under this system to Aeroflot."

"Then I suppose this will fall under the presumption of denial," the official said.

"But whatever or not that happens is really dependent on whatever or not anyone in fact applies for an export license. So it is not a direct sanction, none of these would be directed against Aeroflot," he added.