Putin's travel woes: Refueling snag adds to diplomatic hurdles
According to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin is facing a challenge. The Russian president is canceling foreign visits due to the arrest warrant and difficulties related to refueling government aircraft in other countries.
11:23 AM EST, November 14, 2024
Peskov acknowledged that potential issues with refueling the presidential plane could affect decisions about Putin's foreign visits.
This problem arises from the fact that even in countries that are favorable to the Kremlin, the companies involved in providing aviation fuel often do not belong to that country.
Of course, the visits of the head of state are planned as carefully as possible, and all necessary guarantees are obtained. If issues arise, this may lead to engagements on a different level, Peskov said.
Problems for Russian diplomats and the president
Sergey Lavrov realized in 2023 how challenging it is to travel under the banner of Russian diplomacy. The foreign minister was one of the Russian representatives at the BRICS meeting in South Africa, and it was at this meeting that the issue of refueling first arose.
It turned out that all the companies available for refueling were partially owned by countries that had imposed sanctions on Russia and did not allow the refueling. Similar difficulties occurred at the BRICS meeting in Brazil, after which Sergey Lavrov had to use his colleague Mauro Vieira's plane.
