Proposal to ban Western airlines from using trans-Siberian routes is "on the table" - Medvedev
MOSCOW. Aug 7 (Interfax) - Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has said that Russia is considering a potential ban on European and U.S. air carriers using trans-Siberian routes as a possible retaliatory step against Western sanctions targeting Russia's low-cost airline Dobrolet.
"The government of the Russian Federation is considering a number of retaliatory steps. But it does not mean that they will be enacted immediately. Nevertheless, they are "on the table", so to speak. First, it is a ban on European and American airlines using our country's airspace for transit flights to regions of Southeast Asia, in other words the Asia-Pacific region," Medvedev said at a government session on Thursday.
"Certainly, it is a very tough measure. However, it should be mentioned," the prime minister said.
When commenting on other possible measures in response to Western sanctions, Medvedev said: "Second, we are considering the possibility of changing the so-called entry-exit points in Russia's airspace for regular and charter flights operated by European and American air carriers."
Furthermore, "our country is prepared to review the rules for using trans-Siberian routes, in other words, renounce the earlier agreed upon principles behind the modernization of today's arrangements for the use of trans-Siberian routes," he said.
"As far as states of the European Union are concerned, such rules may be reviewed in full. But we will halt negotiations on the use of trans-Siberian routes with U.S. aviation authorities," he said.
"Starting from winter, we may repeal all permits that were issued by Russia's aviation authorities in addition to the earlier reached agreements," the prime minister said.
So far, "these measures have not been adopted, but if they are adopted, they may be used both collectively and separately," he said.
"Obviously, the enactment of such measures will significant raise Western airlines' costs," Medvedev said.
These measures may act as the Russian government's response to the sanctions that were imposed by the EU on the Dobrolet air carrier, which operated "flights to Simferopol"," he said.
"Our first low-cost airline was forced to suspend its operations on August 4 as a result of these unfriendly measures. All European companies working with it refused to honor their obligations as part of aircraft lease contracts, aircraft maintenance and insurance, as well as refused to provide air navigation information," Medvedev said.
"As a result of this, Russian citizens encountered problems that we had to deal with," he added.
The Head of the European Commission representation in Germany, Richard Kuhnel said in a Deutsche Welle interview that the EU was prepared to further "tighten the screws" if Russia does not change its policy toward Ukraine.
When commenting on Russia's possible ban on European airlines using trans-Siberian routes, Kuhnel said that in this case, the EU could act under a "quid pro quo" principle.