Russia is pushing the idea of opening US airspace to russian airlines as part of a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine, but these attempts are facing resistance from the EU.
The Politico publication’s authors reported this.
As the publication notes, the EU is not interested in lifting air sanctions on russia, and without Europe's participation it will be difficult for russian carriers to fly to the US.
"First, EU sanctions stand firm against Russia, which includes a ban on Russian airlines flying over EU airspace," a European Commission representative said on condition of anonymity.
In addition to political decisions on sanctions, the EU official also pointed to "safety and security issues" associated with the possible opening of EU airspace to russian aircraft.
According to him, "it is not known if Russian air operators and air traffic services have been properly maintained over the past three years, putting the airworthiness of the Russian fleet seriously in question."
After the russian federation's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, russian airline planes were banned from landing and flying over the territory of the EU and the US.
The russian federation has also blocked access to spare parts for aircraft from Western manufacturers such as Boeing and Airbus.
At the same time, russia is demanding the restoration of direct air services with the US as part of any agreement to cease hostilities.
In particular, on April 11, russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that such a step " should be a consequence of the lifting of sanctions on Aeroflot."
"The Americans considered it, [but] so far we have not seen any reciprocal step," the russian minister said.
It was also reported that russia has asked Washington to allow it to buy aircraft from the American manufacturer Boeing and pay for them with russian state assets that have been frozen since the beginning of the war, provided that a ceasefire is achieved.
Any steps to ease restrictions for American and russian air carriers will create pressure on European airlines, which have long complained about additional costs due to the need to bypass russian airspace when flying to Asia. This gives an advantage to Chinese carriers.
However, despite these considerations, Brussels is in no hurry to enter into negotiations with moscow on the issue of access to European skies, in particular because of the danger of flying over russian territory.
A European Commission representative called the security of russian airspace "problematic," citing the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines flight – likely after being hit by a russian air defense missile.
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