The Ukrainian delegation leaves a Belarusian military helicopter upon their landing in Gomel region, Belarus, Monday, Feb. 28, 2022.
Highlights
- The Russian airspace has been closed to flights from 36 nations including Germany and UK.
- The move comes after several European Union (EU) countries shut airspace to Russia.
- Meanwhile, the Washington State Department has closed the U.S. Embassy in Belarus.
The Russian airspace has been closed to flights from 36 nations including Germany and United Kingdom, reported news agency AFP quoting the Russian aviation authority. The move comes after several European Union (EU) countries and Canada shut their airspaces to flights coming from Russia.
Russia’s diplomatic mission says a planned visit by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to the United Nations in Geneva has been cancelled after EU countries closed their airspace to flights from Russia.
The Washington State Department has closed the U.S. Embassy in Belarus and is allowing non-essential staff at the U.S. Embassy in Russia to leave the country due to the war in Ukraine.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the suspension of operations at the Minsk embassy and the authorized departure from Moscow in a statement on Monday.
“We took these steps due to security and safety issues stemming from the unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces in Ukraine,” he said.
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire says France is getting ready to seize all assets of Russian officials and business leaders who are being targeted by EU sanctions.
