Further solidarity measures for Ukraine

Iceland has decided to close its airspace to Russian air traffic and suspend visa facilitation for Russian officials, business people and other such parties.

"Like our friends and allies, we stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people. Iceland will fully participate in measures taken against the unlawful military actions of Russia against Ukraine,“ says Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland. She announced on Twitter this morning that the air space of Iceland will be closed to Russian air traffic.

Iceland has decided to close its airspace to Russian air traffic, in solidarity with #Ukraine 🇮🇸 🇺🇦

— Þórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörð Gylfadóttir (@thordiskolbrun) February 27, 2022

The restriction entails that all aircraft owned, chartered or operated or otherwise controlled by citizens of the Russian Federation and all operators holding air operator certificate (AOC) issued by the Russian Federation are prohibited to enter, exit or overfly Icelandic Airspace. The Icelandic airspace is approximately 180,000 square kilometres.

Picture: The airspace of Iceland

The Government of Iceland has also decided to suspend visa facilitation for Russian officials, business people, parliamentarians, diplomats and others such parties A bilateral visa facilitation agreement from 2008 between Iceland and Russia allowed for the simplified procedure. The decision to suspend the agreement is in line with EU‘s decision on 25 February to partially suspend its visa facilitation agreement with Russia.  The Ministry for Foreign Affairs notified the decision to the Russian Ambassador who was called to the Ministry. 

These measures are in addition to sanctions by European states that Iceland has already decided to participate in as well as those that are expected to be announced by the EU today.