Moscow asks for direct flights to resume between Russia and the US
Flights between Russia and the US ceased shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
(CNN) — Russian negotiators have asked their American counterparts to consider reopening US airspace to Russian aircraft and to restore direct flights between the two countries, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday.
The ministry said the request was made during a bilateral meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, on Thursday, where the two countries discussed their diplomatic missions. The Russian statement said the talks focused “on ways to overcome numerous ‘irritants’ inherited from previous American administrations.”
“The need for practical results aimed at creating conditions for improving bilateral relations in the interests of the peoples of our countries was particularly emphasized. In concrete terms, the American side was asked to consider the possibility of restoring direct air traffic,” the ministry said in the statement.
Ukraine’s allies, including the US, Canada, the European Union and other Western countries, banned Russian planes from entering their airspaces shortly after Moscow launched its unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In a tit-for-tat move, Russia then closed its airspace to dozens of countries, although by that point, most Western airlines had already suspended flying over Russia.
A statement released by the US after the Istanbul meeting said the US and Russia had “constructive discussions,” but it did not specifically mention Russia requesting the resumption of direct flights.
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