U.S. bans Russian aircraft from American airspace

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.