EU wants Georgia to turn away Russian planes , as "unsafe"

The EU is urging Georgia not to allow Russian planes to enter its territory, Peter Stano, the bloc’s lead spokesperson for foreign affairs, said on Thursday. His comments came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin lifted the flight ban and visa regime with the Caucasian country.

Speaking during a press briefing, Stano explained that the EU had “taken note of the decision by the Russian authorities to lift the air travel ban on Georgia.”

He pointed out, however, that “Russia’s illegal aggression” against Ukraine had resulted in numerous Western countries slapping sanctions on the country’s aviation sector. “We don’t allow flights to Russia, from Russia, over Russia,” the spokesman reminded everyone.

Against this backdrop, he continued, the “EU encourages Georgia, which is aspiring to become [a] EU candidate country, to align with the existing EU sanctions … against Russia in the area of aviation,” as well as to “remain vigilant” when it comes to possible attempts to circumvent those restrictions.

He also warned Georgia about what he described as “unsafe Russian planes,” claiming Western sanctions were hindering their maintenance.