Ukraine proposes allies to ban air transit to Russia, Belarus

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said during his visit to Lithuania on April 5 that Ukraine proposed to ban air transit to Russia and Belarus as part of the international sanctions policy.

After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, the EU and other countries banned Russian airlines or Russian-owned aeroplanes from using EU airspace, as well as prohibited the export of aviation-related technology.

Kyiv Independent reports, quoting the PM, that banning air transit would limit Russia's economic potential and increase sanctions pressure on the country.

Lithuania imposed entry restrictions on Russian citizens in September 2022 as part of a joint agreement with Latvia, Estonia, and Poland. Czechia imposed similar restrictions in October 2022.

Shmyhal arrived in Vilnius earlier on April 5 following his visits to the two other Baltic countries, Estonia and Latvia, previously this week.

The prime minister met his Lithuanian counterpart, Ingrida Simonyte, and the country's President Gitanas Nauseda.

"We look forward to continuing fruitful cooperation in the defence sector. We also talked about sanctions and the confiscation of Russian assets, humanitarian aid, and Ukraine's EU and NATO integration," Shmyhal said after meeting Nauseda.

Vilnius has been one of Kyiv's staunchest supporters against Russian aggression. According to the Kiel Institute of the World Economy, Lithuania's defence contributions to Ukraine are one of the highest in the world in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) shares.