President Biden announced a ban on Russian aircraft from US airspace during his State of the Union address.
“Tonight I’m announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American air space to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding additional squeeze on their economy,” the President said.
US officials believe there will still be ways for Americans to get out of Russia if Russian flights cannot come to the US, citing train options out of the country as one possibility.
The US joins Canada and the European Union in closing off its airspace to Russian aircraft. Before European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the entire EU would close off its airspace to Russian planes, several European countries — including Germany, France and Italy — had already done so.
President Biden praised the United States’ ability to band together with other “freedom-loving nations” across the world.
“We stayed united,” said the President.
“We countered Russia’s lies with the truth, and now, now that he’s acted, the free world is holding him accountable,” Biden said.
“Putin is now isolated from the world more than he has ever been,” the President said, a remark that was met with applause inside the House chamber.