Ukraine Deputy Minister Explains Controversial Closing Of Airspace For Russia

What You Need To Know:

✓ Before the new ban the government of Ukraine had technical consultations with Brussels in October, and they warned Russia to lift the ban against Ukrainian planes flying into Russian territory, stating that Ukraine will react accordingly. Russia did not cancel its restrictions, and in response the Ukrainian government closed its’ sky for Russian companies at the full scale.
✓ Banning is not a change from the Ukrainian side, but Ukraine is “in the coalition” with Western partners and 'we do believe that with economic and political actions we can force Russia to withdraw their troops from Crimea and Donbas, and to pay compensations and ask for Ukraine’s forgiveness'.
✓ Another argument to impose sanctions against Russian transit over Ukraine is the recent crash of the Russian passenger plane in Egypt.
✓ Russians were shocked at Ukraine’s actions, they did not believe that Ukraine really would really impose all these sanctions against Russian companies.
✓ Ukrainian companies were warned about the new ban beforehand, and they understood that today is not “business as usual” and that sometimes national interests should rise above some immediate economic profits.

Hromadske asked Volodymyr Omelyan, Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Infrastructure to comment on the decision and possible consequences of a controversial move to close Ukrainian airspace for all Russian airplanes.