WASHINGTON, USA
United States President, Joe
Biden, announced Tuesday that the United States will ban Russian aircraft from
flying through U.S. airspace.
The announcement came in
Biden’s first
State of the Union address and came on the heels of similar moves by
the European Union and Canada.
“We will join our allies in
closing off American air space to all Russian flights – further isolating
Russia – and adding an additional squeeze –on their economy,” Biden said.
The move would prohibit planes that are owned or registered by Russians from flying over the United States, the latest coordinated approach between U.S. and its allies amid the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine.
“The United States stands with our allies across
the world in responding to Putin’s unprovoked aggression against the people of
Ukraine,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg wrote in a Tuesday
statement.
The ban will take effect by the end of day
Wednesday. https://twitter.com/i/status/1498848486619549705
Russian President Vladimir Putin previously
retaliated against the European ban by canceling flights from European airlines
over Russian territory.
After working for weeks to unite Western allies
behind unprecedented economic sanctions against Russia and
torrents of military aid to non-NATO Ukraine, Biden painted the picture of what he said
was revived global US leadership.
“In the battle between democracy and autocracy,
democracies are rising to the moment,” he said.
With many in Congress wearing yellow and blue in
tribute to the Ukrainian flag, this was the easy part of the speech for Biden.
But the 79-year-old, who faces rock bottom approval ratings and bitter opposition from Republicans still in thrall to Donald Trump, also hoped to try and ride the positive wave into trickier domestic territory.
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