AFP is\u00a0confirming<\/a>\u00a0that “Germany has blocked flights operated by Russian airlines<\/strong>\u00a0from arriving in its territory in tit-for-tat action after\u00a0Moscow failed to provide authorizations for Lufthansa<\/strong>, the transport ministry said Wednesday, amid tensions over Belarus.”<\/p>\n Days ago Moscow had begun\u00a0blocking European carriers which were actively avoiding Belarusian airspace<\/strong>, also as Russia’s former Soviet satellite state ally was targeted for expanded EU sanctions, including an imminent expected blacklisting of national carrier Belavia.<\/p>\n The Biden\u00a0administration is also said to be drawing up a list of targeted sanctions, but for now it’s looking like\u00a0a new Cold War over the skies of Europe is playing out<\/strong>, potentially severely disrupting popular international travel and transit routes and leading to a worsened diplomatic standoff.<\/p>\n Germany’s transport ministry said on Wednesday that it had denied three Russian\u00a0Aeroflot flights access to its airspace and another four on Wednesday in response to prior Lufthansa flight cancelations that were the\u00a0direct result of Russian policy<\/a>:<\/p>\n “Due to the reciprocal practice, the Federal Aviation Authority also did not issue any further permits for flights operated by Russian airlines as long as authorizations are pending on the Russian side,”<\/strong>\u00a0it added.<\/p>\n ….”Once permits for Lufthansa flights are granted by the Russian site,\u00a0the flights of Russian airlines will also be authorized<\/strong>,” added the German ministry.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Recall too that Air France flights had been impacted by lack of Russian flight path approval as early as a week ago after broad EU-wide avoidance of Belarusian airspace. The Kremlin had tried to downplay it at the time as vaguely based on “technical” reasons.<\/p>\n As the below comment from an Atlantic Council pundit reveals,\u00a0<\/em>the May 23 Ryanair incident is increasingly being blamed on Putin’s Russia, given his longtime support for the Belarusian strongman…<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/assets.zerohedge.com\/s3fs-public\/styles\/inline_image_mobile\/public\/inline-images\/lufthansafile.jpg?itok=eL7pU8HL\")
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