UK urges its citizens to avoid 'unsafe' Russian airlines
April 9, 2022, 7:38 am

UK urges its citizens to avoid 'unsafe' Russian airlines (File photo: Pixabay)

The Swiss Info reported, citing Reuters, UK ransport minister Grant Shapps said on Friday (Apr 8), British citizens should avoid Russian airlines due to safety concerns, following a decision by Britain's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to put Russia on a safety watchlist.

Shapps said in a statement: "I urge all British nationals to avoid flying with a Russian airline."

He added that the CAA had acted "due to our concerns that the Russian authorities are actively promoting unsafe practices".

The report noted that Russian airlines are already banned from entering British airspace.

Yesterday (Apr 8), Britain also added Russian President Vladimir Putin’s daughters to its list of sanctions.

This little girl was evacuated from from Bucha Hospital, Kyiv Oblast some time ago. During the incessant bombings and attacks on Irpin, Bucha and Hostomel, she lost her left arm (File photo and text: Euromaidan Press)

Last Saturday (Apr 2), British transport minister Grant Shapps said that he has prevented the use of another private jet that has links to Russian oligarchs.

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On Tuesday 29-03-2022, British PM Boris Johnson told his cabinet that it will take more than a ceasefire in Ukraine for London to lift its sanctions against Russia. He insisted that Moscow must fully alter its policy towards its neighbor.

levantnews, Swissinfo

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.