According to the statement of the US State Department, the resumption of flights between Georgia and Russia will pose a threat of sanctions on the companies that serve Russian companies at Georgian airports.
The State Department spoke to “Voice of America” about it.
“Many Western countries, including the United States, prohibit Russian aircraft from entering their airspace. If flights between Russia and Georgia resume, given that companies at Georgian airports may be targeted for sanctions, we would be concerned if they serve aircraft subject to additional import and export controls,” the State Department said.
According to the State Department, “the entire Western community has distanced itself from this brutal regime – now is not the time to increase engagement with Russia.”
Irakli Kobakhidze, Chairman of the Georgian Dream party, welcomed the possibility of restoring direct flights to Russia on January 19, one day after a similar statement from the Russian Foreign Minister. On January 18, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov praised the Georgian government for not joining the sanctions imposed on Russia despite Western pressure. President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili responded to the possibility of resuming flights with Russia and said that she does not welcome this initiative.
