Nations around the world reacted to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by banning Russia-owned aircraft from their skies.
As the European Union and other nations, such as Canada, announced bans, American skies were still open.
As of Sunday afternoon, Reuters reported that the U.S. was still considering what to do.
? Th EU has now closed airspace to Russian flights and bans pro-Kremlin media after invasion of Ukraine?
Comment and Retweet is you agree that President Biden must…#CloseUSAirspaceToRussia Now to #StandWithUkriane ????#FreshResists
Pass It On???? pic.twitter.com/JGfASJaVvH— Southern Sister Resister – Wordsmith #IAmTheStorm (@ResisterSis20) February 27, 2022
“Our European skies are open skies,” Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said, the The Washington Post reported. “They’re open for those who connect people, not for those who seek to brutally aggress.”
As of Sunday, Italy, Norway, France, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Belgium, Ireland, and the Netherlands were barring Russian planes. Britain, Germany, Romania, Spain, Hungary, Bulgaria, Greece, Moldova, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia had also acted to ban Russian aircraft, leaving Russian ally Belarus and Switzerland the only European nations not joining in the ban, according to the Post.
The E.U. said it would close E.U. airspace to Russian aircraft. Rumor is that Biden is considering closing US airspace to Ukraine aircraft. /s
If only we had a real leader in the White House.
— Jerry Rosen (@Shortrosen) February 27, 2022
Canada’s minister of transport, Omar Alghabra announced his nation would join in.
“Effective immediately, Canada’s airspace is closed to all Russian aircraft operators. We will hold Russia accountable for its unprovoked attacks against Ukraine,” he said.
In America, Delta Air Lines announced it would terminate its booking partnership with Russia’s Aeroflot, according to the BBC.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the EU’s action on Twitter.
First, we are shutting down the EU airspace for Russian-owned, Russian registered or Russian-controlled aircraft.
They won’t be able to land in, take off or overfly the territory of the EU.
Including the private jets of oligarchs. pic.twitter.com/o551M9zekQ
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) February 27, 2022
She also said that “for the first time ever, the European Union will finance the purchase and delivery of weapons and other equipment to a country that is under attack,” according to CBS.
EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said this was a massive break with precedent, according to PBS.
“Another taboo has fallen. The taboo that the European Union was not providing arms in a war,” he said.
When even Trudeau is standing up to Russia with more force than President Biden is, we have serious problems.
It is unbelievable that Aeroflot is still freely operating in the United States. Biden must close our airspace to Russian aircraft NOW! https://t.co/ltijGaMIEy
— Rep. Ken Buck (@RepKenBuck) February 27, 2022
Reuters noted that a U.S. ban on Russian planes in American airspace, and the expected ban from Russia on U.S. planes that would follow, would create longer flight times from flights that leave the East Coast of the U.S. and head for Asia, analyst Robert Mann of R.W. Mann & Company, Inc. said.
Some flights might become too costly for airlines to continue, he explained.
“It would just add a lot of expense,” he said.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
