On Friday, the Russian Foreign Ministry suggested during “substantial and practical” talks between Russia and the United States held in Turkey on Thursday that direct flights between the two countries should be reinstated.
No response from the U.S. side at the Istanbul meeting on Thursday was disclosed by the Russian Foreign Ministry, but Russian airline stocks rose by 3.8% after the news broke.
As one of the sanctions imposed on Russia for its involvement in the Ukraine war, many Western countries ceased aviation connections with Russia in 2022. The resumption of flights between the U.S. and Russia would be the most tangible economic outcome achieved in the increasingly relaxed relationship between Russian President Putin and U.S. President Trump.
Prior to the six-hour long meeting in Istanbul between senior diplomats of both countries, Trump and Putin had a phone call on February 12, and a high-level meeting took place in Saudi Arabia on February 18.
Both sides expressed hopes of ending the conflict in Ukraine through negotiations and discussed the possibility of major business deals, but their primary focus was on improving bilateral relations. Putin stated on Thursday that the initial contacts with the Trump administration offered hope and warned the “Western elites” (referring to the UK and EU) not to undermine these contacts.
“We emphasize the need for tangible results, with the aim of creating conditions conducive to the interests of our two nations,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“In particular, we urge the U.S. to consider the possibility of resuming direct air travel,” the statement added.
The U.S. State Department issued a statement on Thursday stating that the talks covered issues such as embassy staffing, visas, and diplomatic financial transactions. However, the statement did not mention aviation connections.
Both the U.S. and Russia have confirmed their agreement to meet again.
(Reference from Reuters)