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EU Opposes Russia’s Bid to Rejoin UN Aviation Body Over MH17 Downing Accountability
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Russia’s bid to regain a seat on the UN aviation body, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council, is facing strong opposition from the European Union due to its responsibility for the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, Politico reported on September 23.
The push comes ahead of ICAO’s triennial assembly in Montreal, where 36 states are set to be elected to the governing body. Moscow’s expulsion from the council in 2022 followed the confiscation of hundreds of leased airplanes after its invasion of Ukraine.
The Kremlin, seeking to rejoin, has framed itself as “the largest aviation power, with a history of civil aviation reaching back more than a hundred,” Politico writes.
The EU, along with several NATO members, has expressed strong resistance to Russia’s candidacy.
“It is unacceptable that a state which endangers the safety and security of air passengers and violates international rules should hold a seat on the organisation’s governing body, tasked with upholding those very rules,” said Anna-Kaisa Itkonen, the Commission’s spokesperson for transport matters.
Russia’s re-entry to the council is seen as a way for Moscow to recover lost prestige, especially following its expulsion. Analysts also suggest that the Kremlin may use this as a platform to legitimize its actions regarding seized aircraft and its broader geopolitical ambitions, according to Politico.
ICAO membership could also strengthen the influence of Russia and its BRICS allies, which include China, India, and Brazil.
Russia’s standing in the council became even more contentious after the ICAO’s ruling in May, which blamed Moscow for the 2014 MH17 disaster, in which 298 people were killed after their plane was hit by a surface-to-air missile over Russian-controlled eastern Ukraine, leaving no survivors, Politico writes.
Despite this, Russia is pushing forward with its appeal to the International Court of Justice.
“In May, the ICAO Council’s decided that ‘the Russian Federation is responsible for the downing of Flight MH17 and has thus violated the Convention on International Civil Aviation.’ That has not changed,” Richard Funnekotter, spokesperson of the Dutch Infrastructure Ministry said.
Previously, Russia had filed an appeal with the International Court of Justice over a ruling that held Moscow responsible for the 2014 downing of a Malaysian Airlines jet, which killed 298 people.
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