A Formula 1 team has rejected a claim for a refund from a Russian firm after severing ties with them.
Haas cancelled its sponsorship deal with Uralkali following Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
The state-owned fertiliser company was set to be among the team's sponsors for the 2022 season.
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Dmitry Mazepin, the firm's billionaire owner, also managed to get his son, Nikita, a spot as a driver on the team, competing alongside Mick Schumacher.
But ahead of the season, Haas cancelled its deal with his company and sacked Nikita, who, along with his father, has also been sanctioned by the European Union.
Haas has since rejected Uralkali's multi-million pound claim and written a letter setting out its position.
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Published on motorsport.com, the note reads: "According to unanimous legal scholars and case law, the party which terminates the agreement for breach of the other party is under no obligation to return to such party what it has already received under the agreement.
"The claim of Uralkali to obtain the re-payment of the down paid amount of EUR 12,000,000 is therefore ungrounded and rejected."
This comes after Nikita labelled the sanctions issued against Russia as 'cancel culture'.
The EU described his father as 'a member of the closest circle of Vladimir Putin', while Nikita was said to be a "person associated with a leading businessperson [his dad] involved in economic sectors providing a substantial source of revenue to the government of the Russian Federation."
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"I've said previously that I intend to fight it," Nikita said, though he admitted now perhaps might not be 'the right time' when considering the bigger picture of the 'situation that's happening against [Russian] athletes'.
"It's cancel culture against my country", the driver said.
Nikita told the BBC he had seen some of the images coming out of Ukraine in the wake of the war and said it is 'painful to watch... on many levels'. However, the 23-year-old stressed that while he is someone who 'wants to live in a very peaceful world', he saw 'tremendous risks' in commenting on the matter because he would 'never satisfy everyone'.
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"I will keep myself publicly, publicly quiet," he added.
Nikita released a statement addressed to his 'fans and followers' after having his contract with Haas came to an end earlier this year, saying at the time he was 'very disappointed' with the news.
He continued: "While I understand the difficulties, the ruling from FIA plus my ongoing willingness to accept the conditions proposed in order to continue were completely ignored and no process was followed in this unilateral step.
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"To those who have tried to understand, my eternal thanks. I have treasured my time in F1 and genuinely hope we can all be together again in better times," he wrote.
Dominic Smithers