Europe fights Russia’s return to UN aviation council at crucial vote

The European Union has strongly criticized Russia's renewed effort to be re-elected to the governing council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), following its expulsion in 2022 over violations of international aviation rules. The controversy is set to come to a head during ICAO’s triennial assembly in Montreal to both set new aviation targets and vote on 36 countries to serve on the Council.

Russia was removed from the ICAO Council three years ago after its “illegal confiscation of leased airplanes at the start of its war against Ukraine” and other infractions, according to multiple governments, POLITICO reports.

Now, despite those prior breaches, Moscow is making a comeback bid — characterizing itself as “the largest aviation power, with a history of civil aviation reaching back more than a hundred years.” But EU officials are pushing back hard. “It is unacceptable that a state which endangers the safety and security of air passengers and violates international rules should hold a seat on the organisation’s governing body, tasked with upholding those very rules,” said Anna-Kaisa Itkonen, spokesperson for the European Commission’s transport department.

Member of the European Parliament Dariusz Joński, part of the EU delegation attending the Montreal meeting, said: “Russia’s candidacy is incompatible with the credibility of ICAO… These responsibilities cannot be exercised by a state that systematically violates international law, undermines international security, and disregards the very principles on which ICAO was founded.”

The backdrop to the debate includes the ICAO Council’s May 2025 ruling that Russia was responsible for the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 in 2014 — the first time ICAO ever resolved a dispute between member states on its merits. The ruling found that Russia “failed to refrain from resorting to the use of weapons against civil aircraft in flight.”

Russia, meanwhile, has appealed that decision at the International Court of Justice. The Kremlin also argues that sanctions imposed on it — especially those affecting spare parts, overflight rights, and certification of aircraft — are having serious safety implications and are being used as political leverage.

At stake is not only prestige and political influence, but also practical control over how international civil aviation norms are set and enforced. With seats on the ICAO Council divided into tiers based on importance to air transport, contributions to aviation infrastructure, and regional representation, Russia is seeking a return to a top tier seat — a position many Western countries feel it no longer merits.

As the ICAO Assembly officially begins, members will vote, and EU states are expected to lobby strongly against Russia’s reentry, arguing that reinstatement without accountability would erode the credibility of global aviation governance. The outcomes of the vote will likely signal how much the international community is willing to prioritize aviation safety and legal norms over geopolitical considerations.

By Vafa Guliyeva