Russia is now arguing that Western sanctions have created a crisis in aviation safety, pushing the United Nations’ aviation body to take action. With the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) meeting this week in Montreal, Moscow is seeking relief from restrictions it calls unlawful and discriminatory.
Russia Claims Aviation Sanctions Put Safety At Risk
According to Russia, sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine have gone far beyond political punishment and are directly jeopardizing passenger safety. The country says the lack of access to spare parts, blocked maintenance support, and closed airspace routes are forcing airlines to cut corners and even cannibalize aircraft for parts. Russian officials have warned that more than 700 Western-built aircraft in their fleet cannot be safely maintained under current restrictions.
Moscow has also criticized bans on aircraft insurance and airworthiness certification, claiming that such measures violate international aviation rules and basic human rights like freedom of movement. The government insists that these policies are discriminatory and that ICAO should intervene to prevent an eventual safety disaster. At the same time, Russia is campaigning for election to ICAO’s governing council, a move that has raised eyebrows among member states that view sanctions as a vital tool to pressure Moscow over its war in Ukraine.
The appeal is couched in the language of safety, but the political implications are unavoidable. If ICAO were to side with Russia, it could be seen as undermining sanctions imposed by dozens of countries, while ignoring the appeal could allow Russia to paint the organization as politicized and ineffective. Either way, ICAO’s credibility is on the line, especially if the safety of international passengers is called into question.
For now, no one is suggesting that Russia will receive sweeping relief. At best, limited concessions could be considered for safety-critical spare parts, though such a move would almost certainly be controversial. Many nations will be reluctant to offer Moscow any reprieve that could be interpreted as weakening sanctions, even in the name of aviation safety. The tension between maintaining global safety standards and upholding political pressure is precisely the fault line Russia hopes to exploit.
My Thoughts: No Spare Parts For Now
Russis contends:
“Unlawful coercive measures … violate the human right to freedom of movement regardless of nationality.”
I’ve long condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and even visited Ukraine on the first anniversary of the war. I think sanctions can be effective, but are ineffective because there are loopholes a mile wide with China, India, Israel, Turkey, and the UAE (among many others) still doing business with Russia. The US has punished India severely, but has not punished others who also continue to buy Russian oil, which strikes me as counterintuitive.
One Mile At A Time reasons, “So are we just waiting for an Airbus or Boeing plane to crash in Russia? Is that something we’re supposed to celebrate, when it inevitably happens? Personally, I value human life regardless of what nationality it is, and I also think it’s important to separate people from their governments.”
He continues, “On the one hand, you don’t want to give in to a thug like Putin, and there’s rich irony to the country being concerned about ‘unlawful measures,’ all of a sudden. On the other hand, actions have consequences, and these sanctions will lead to aviation fatalities sooner or later, and I’m not a fan of that.”
I share his concerns…and it is a reasonable position to say that supplying Russia with spare parts does not indicate any support for the regime and its baseless, deadly, evil war in Ukraine. Heck, it’s sobering that Germany continues to buy liquefied natural gas from Russia because it has no alternatives.
But I value human life too and take a more pragmatic, perhaps utilitarian look at this situation. I don’t wish death on any Russian. My church in LA has a sizeable Russian population and these are dear people…all life is indeed precious. Yet Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine has taken the lives of around 1,000,000 people since this conflict began.
And despite playing nice with President Trump in Alaska, Putin has done nothing, showing no willingness to end this war or negotiate peace. Maybe some planes need to fall out of the sky in Russia for the population to finally push back against the Kremlin and pressure the government to end the war?
To be clear, it’s not something I wish on anyone…but this war needs to end now and I see no finish line yet. With Putin unwilling to make any genuine effort to end it, I view allowing spare parts (even in exchange for allowing overflights of Russian airspace) as rewarding a dictator for bad behavior. That will lead to more lives lost in the long run.
CONCLUSION
Russia’s latest push to ease aviation sanctions is more than a routine complaint. It is a test of how ICAO navigates the collision of safety oversight and geopolitics. Moscow argues that passengers are at risk without access to parts and maintenance support, but many ICAO members see the sanctions as necessary leverage. If relief is granted, the political cost will be steep. If denied, Russia will claim discrimination while its aviation sector continues to deteriorate.
While this is a very tough issue, I don’t think Russia should be rewarded with spare parts for its Boeing and Airbus aircraft.
How should ICAO handle this issue?
Note to Russia: screw you.
If the Russian aircraft aren’t safe to fly, then they should be grounded.
How should ICAO handle this? If it’s important to Putin he can end this war. Full stop. No concessions and no mercy.
If they feel it is not safe to fly those planes, they should just park them. Their actions have consequences.
Exactly.
Maybe some planes need to fall out of the sky in Russia for the population to finally push back against the Kremlin and pressure the government to end the war?
Well said.
well said, Matthew
Russia does not have to fly airplanes that are not airworthy.
I’d be sanctioning that clown Zelensky, who is the one who refuses legitimate peace offers
And don’t give me Russia attacked first. They had every right to attack, just as we had every right to attack Iraq
Dont worry, im sure the Oompa Loompa In Chief will send his master Vlad some spare parts through their back channels
Dirtbag Derek, your viewpoint is shared only by other ignoramuses, we won’t give you Russia attacked first because you’re obviously immune to facts. Citing Iraq is similarly incredibly stupid, many people believe that attack also was unjustified. YOU are one who should be sanctioned, you nasty stupid racist cretin.
Douchebag Dave Edwards & Sch*tt Hsuan & Dirtbag Derek, proving with your every (too frequent) comments that your nicknames are absolutely accurate and completely deserved and that you have nothing better to do with your pathetic waste-of-oxygen lives than to post abhorrent and revolting comments here over and over again every single day. Thank you for confirming once again that you and other MAGAs are stupid hateful racist cretins. Trolling or not, the extent and frequency of your comments are indicative of severe psychiatric and/or addiction problems. Your insults, undoubtedly projection, speak much more to your lack of character than to anyone you attack. You should crawl back under whatever rocks you crawled out from you SHPOSs.
Hey what’s up loser? Great to see you again.
It’s clear you have the IQ of a roach given that you cannot even provide a retort, but have to resort to name calling
How does it feel to lack intellect? Makes you feel so small that you need to lash out, right?
Nice tries racist cretin morons. Everything you both write is massive self-owning projection. Disgusting and revolting to see you again.
“cannot even provide a retort, but have to resort to name calling”, just like your hero, you obviously don’t mind when he does it, you hypocritical POS.
“Hey what’s up loser? ” and “How does it feel to lack intellect? ”, I don’t know, you both have much more experience in those regards, tell me.
Douchebag Dave Edwards & Sch*tt Hsuan & Dirtbag Derek, proving with your every (too frequent) comments that your nicknames are absolutely accurate and completely deserved and that you have nothing better to do with your pathetic waste-of-oxygen lives than to post abhorrent and revolting comments here over and over again every single day. Thank you for confirming once again that you and other MAGAs are stupid hateful racist cretins. Trolling or not, the extent and frequency of your comments are indicative of severe psychiatric and/or addiction problems. Your insults, undoubtedly projection, speak much more to your lack of character than to anyone you attack. You should crawl back under whatever rocks you crawled out from you SHPOSs.
Just wait until we get another term in 2028
we will begin the systematic destruction and elimination of the Democrat party then, including banning morons like you from the internet
Threats don’t become anyone but thugs. I kindly ask you to stop. See if you can articulate your thoughts without violence
@Derek, what got into you?
@Matthew
What got into me was him not able to make a coherent argument and immediately resorting to name calling.
It showed, he cannot form a position and support it
Here is why I do not support Zelensky. His maximalist demands are unreasonable. He is leading the Ukraine toward a fate similar to that of Carthage. He does not have the advantage on the battlefield and should be looing to get the best deal that he possibly can. That is the reality of the situation.
He may be able to cause hundreds of thousands of more dead Russians, but nowhere near enough to actually win the war given the population of Russia in a prolonged war of attrition
Derek, a trolling douchebag cretin like you doesn’t deserve an intelligent reply, you reap what you sew, golden rule, I’m not showing up to a gun fight armed only with a knife, unfortunately the high road doesn’t work with lowlife POSs like you. BTW, “banning morons like you from the internet” is completely hypocritical (about free speech). And “systematic destruction and elimination of the Democrat party”, nice (NOT) threat of violence and genocide you alpha hotel.
It is good to see that I “own you” , , .
Douchebag Dave Edwards & Sch*tt Hsuan & Dirtbag Derek, proving with your every (too frequent) comments that your nicknames are absolutely accurate and completely deserved and that you have nothing better to do with your pathetic waste-of-oxygen lives than to post abhorrent and revolting comments here over and over again every single day. Thank you for confirming once again that you and other MAGAs are stupid hateful racist cretins. Trolling or not, the extent and frequency of your comments are indicative of severe psychiatric and/or addiction problems. Your insults, undoubtedly projection, speak much more to your lack of character than to anyone you attack. You should crawl back under whatever rocks you crawled out from you SHPOSs.
Derek, don’t worry about him. He’s just doing at to get a reaction from you. At first I too thought it was annoying but he’s grown on me. I find him funny.
Isn’t that right you dumb word salad loser boy?
Sch*tt “you dumb word salad loser boy?”, you shouldn’t write that about yourself, you stupid uneducated moron SHPOS.
Douchebag Dave Edwards & Sch*tt Hsuan & Dirtbag Derek, proving with your every (too frequent) comments that your nicknames are absolutely accurate and completely deserved and that you have nothing better to do with your pathetic waste-of-oxygen lives than to post abhorrent and revolting comments here over and over again every single day. Thank you for confirming once again that you and other MAGAs are stupid hateful racist cretins. Trolling or not, the extent and frequency of your comments are indicative of severe psychiatric and/or addiction problems. Your insults, undoubtedly projection, speak much more to your lack of character than to anyone you attack. You should crawl back under whatever rocks you crawled out from you SHPOSs.
Oh yeah, Douchebag Dave Edwards & Sch*tt Hsuan & Dirtbag Derek, because you’re each clearly too f—king stupid and psychopathic to figure it out for yourself, all those people are obviously laughing AT you, not with you.
Tell us more baby
Sch*tt, nope you don’t own me, I own you as proven by your replies to every one of my comments, you stupid uneducated racist sociopathic eunuch bitch. You supposedly like to discuss the issues, tell us how anti-abortion (“because every life is precious”) and gun rights (designed and used to kill) is not hypocritical.
@Not Douchebag Dave Edwards nor Sch*tt Husan nor Dirtbag Derek:
Your ad hominem attacks on others are a very constructive part of this dialogue.
Stick to points and deals. You’ve unleashed the morons, both left and right.
So sad to see nearly all of the comments, including Matt’s article are so anti-Russian. Had the US not supported a coup in 2014 and installed their selected leader there would never have been this war in the first place. The west should never have accepted the overthrow of a democratically elected govt in Ukraine. Yet now they support a president whose term ended lo g ago and refuses to hold elections.
I want to see the war end asap but telling Putin to simply withdraw without understanding its origin is pointless.
@Alan, I see you are making your rounds.
So disengenuous to try to mischaracterize Ukrainians, not Americans, rising up to overthrow the Moscow puppet regime in 2014.
Putin is a rabid dog who should be put down.
Amen.
1. He CANNOT hold elections as per Ukraine’s constitution.
2. They are not “Anti-russian”. They are russian realists.
3. Had Russia not overthrown Polish rulers in 1612, this war wouldn’t have happened, per your logic.
4. I don’t need Putin to understand anything, nor do I need him to be happy or whatever. He needs to either back off or die. Simple. And if more russians die? So be it.
I wonder sometimes if the pro-Russian trolls and those who clearly just want to stir up shit here are actually paid by progressive organizations.
Your arguments on almost every point are childish, ignorant or just plain uninformed to the point of making any reasonable person want to choose the opposite position even without knowing anything about the issue. You know who you are.
This is why free speech matters and cencorship is bad. Let the idiots express themselves as far and wide as possible. The more they speak, the less power and influence they will have.
And yep, Russia made their bed. They can deal with the consequences of their actions like everyone else. Buy some Chinese passenger planes or build your own like in the Soviet days. Problem solved.
I love their appeal to loosen the restrictions, precisely while they shut down commercial air traffic by sending drones to the Oslo and Copenhagen airports, and jam or spoof GPS signals to send government aircraft off course.
Travel by air is not a fundamental human right. And if the western aircraft are unsafe to fly the solution is simple. Ground them. If/when accidents happen with these aircraft the blame will be with the Russian Airlines and the Russian Government not companies or people in the west.
If Russia wants to get those airplanes back flying safely then the solution is simple. End their invasion of Ukraine and withdraw their forces to pre-invasion lines. Until that happens under no circumstances should the sanctions be lifted or weakened.
No parts, no help, no service. Nothing. If they crash – so what? It’s their own doing and we shouldn’t absolutely care about that in any way, shape or form.
They can get those parts very easily – by stopping their war.
I have to respectfully disagree with you (Matthew) on this. I really think it’s only a matter of time before a Russian-operated, Western-built airplane has a serious incident due to lack of spare parts. When (not if) that happens the Russian government will rightly claim Western sanctions brought harm to their citizens, further reinforcing the anti-west echo chamber that Russia has become under Putin.
I have no love for Putin or Russia’s unlawful invasion of Ukraine. That said he has absolutely no concern for the Russian people, and embargoing civil aircraft parts doesn’t harm him at all while putting Russian citizens, who have zero control over what Putin and his cronies do, at serious risk. A limited, targeted lifting of these sanctions might be an opportunity to show Russia that Putin’s anti-west rhetoric is just smoke and mirrors hiding his government’s ineptitude and corruption.
Your point is well-made. I disagree (since I still see it as rewarding a thug and prolonging the war), but appriecate you making it and concede you may be right.
Well said @Joe_the_Whale. While sanctions may score political points they harm innocent civilians while doing little (if anything) to governments themselves.
The west doesn’t want this war to end. They want it to go on as long as possible in order to weaken Russia economically and militarily. The longer the war goes on, the more Russia’s economy suffers and they will continue to suffer losses in terms of soldiers and equipment. Ukrainians are collateral damage in NATO’s eyes.
Every time Trump puts pressure on Europe to step up, they talk a big game and fail to deliver anything. The current sanctions and aid provided give Ukraine enough to hold the line but not enough to actually defeat Russia.
If Putin chooses to have unsafe airplanes fly (and there were ensuing disasters), that’s on him, not any country or anyone who chose not to support Russia’s aviation industry. It would be yet another example of Putin’s “crimes against humanity”.
To all those who oppose supporting Ukraine, please tell us WHEN (and where/who) we should support a sovereign country that’s been invaded. Poland, Germany, UK, Canada, Mexico, USA (Alaska), elsewhere?
Yeah, Poland started the Second World War by luring Germany over its border.
Poland couldn’t have started the war since the war began on July 7, 1937 in China
Derek, the comment you replied to (about Poland) was very obviously sarcastic, you stupid uneducated racist cretin.
Bleed ’em dry. They get nothing.
Russians have never known a truly democratic government. The Provisional Government of 1917 lasted 8 months and was overthrown by the Bolsheviks. Between tsarism, soviet rule and the corrupt republic in power now, Russians are used to autocratic rule and have never truly known freedom. Putin is afraid of a truly free and democratic Ukraine being an example for Russians to follow and he had to put it down. Not the US, not NATO, not the EU that started this war. It was Putin, a power mad and likely insane leader in the mould of so many others. Let’s hope he ultimately enjoys the fate of Hitler, Ceaușescu, Saddam Hussein, and so many other vicious dictators.
As long as Russia is taking Ukranian lives there should be no spare parts sent to Russia!
Can we also stop selling parts to El Al?
A really critical point that’s not appreciated above: many, if not all of the aircraft they want parts for were stolen from aviation lessors & western banks.
It takes some gall to steal $300m planes, demand clean title, and then demanding spare part access for them.