Russia has not yet paid the fine that the Ukrainian authorities imposed on Russian airlines for operating illegal flights to the Crimea. First Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Volodymyr Shulmeister announced this on Thursday, the Interfax Ukraine news agency reports.
"Our position remains unchanged: the sanctions will be lifted if Russia pays the fine for the illegal flights. However, since this has not happened, we remain in the same situation," he said at the second "Conductors for Change" annual directors forum in Kiev on Thursday, 29 October.
Noting that the acting head of the State Aviation Service held talks in Moscow last week, Shulmeister said that the possible date for fresh negotiations was unknown. At the same time, the first deputy minister of infrastructure said he was certain that the fine had not yet been paid.
According to the Interfax Ukraine news agency, negotiations between Ukraine and Russia on resumption of flights between the two countries are possible only after Russian companies stop flying to the Crimea in addition to paying the fines.
The Ministry confirmed that the State Aviation Service received a letter outlining positions that were unacceptable to Ukraine from Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency on 29 October.
