Russia fails to regain seat on UN aviation body amid EU opposition over Ukraine war, MH17 case
Russia has failed in its bid to win back a seat on the United Nations’ aviation agency council after facing firm opposition from the European Union over its invasion of Ukraine.
Moscow immediately demanded a "repeat round of voting" after falling short of the support needed to return to the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) 36-member council. Russia was stripped of its seat in 2022 after illegally seizing foreign-leased aircraft during the war in Ukraine.
For a country that controls the world’s largest airspace, a seat on the ICAO Council carries as much prestige as practical influence in aviation. A return would also help Moscow legitimize its attempt to re-register hundreds of leased aircraft stranded in Russia after the airspace was closed.
The ICAO has also previously held Russia responsible for the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over Russian-occupied territory in Donetsk Oblast, killing all 298 people on board. On May 12 this year, the ICAO Council formally ruled Russia bore responsibility, prompting Moscow to file an appeal with the International Court of Justice. Russia’s Foreign Ministry said the ruling was "unfounded" and based on "falsified facts," vowing to contest it "in all respects."
Investigators concluded MH17 was destroyed by a Russian-supplied Buk missile launched from territory held by Moscow’s proxy forces. In 2022, a Dutch court sentenced in absentia two Russian nationals and one Ukrainian to life in prison for their roles. The European Court of Human Rights also ruled in July that Russia was responsible, citing "widespread and flagrant" abuses tied to its war in Ukraine.
Ahead of Sept. 27 vote, European Commission spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen said it was "unacceptable that a state which endangers the safety and security of air passengers and violates international rules should hold a seat on the organization’s governing body, tasked with upholding those very rules," according to Politico.
