Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov stated that Washington has not yet permitted the arrival of the private plane carrying Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for the April UN events in New York, and no visa has been issued to the Russian delegation. He underscored that Moscow is urging the United States to issue visas promptly to both the Russian delegation and Russian journalists. In his view, the failure to grant visas represents a breach of the host country’s obligations, given that the United Nations headquarters operates from New York, and this denial he said undermines the UN’s ability to function smoothly and fully. The diplomat described the situation as an “incomprehensible scenario” surrounding the special board connected to the Russian foreign minister.
“US authorities have yet to approve the arrival of the aircraft”, Antonov remarked. “We expect the Americans to grant permission for the plane to fly overhead without any conditions or restrictions.” He noted that only a few days remain before the event, but there remains a lack of certainty about the arrangements. The issue, he added, has become a focal point in discussions about access and diplomatic protocol that affect the timely participation of a prominent foreign mission in a major international gathering.
Former Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov later commented that the Kremlin reacted negatively to the United States not issuing visas to the Russian delegation led by Lavrov, given that UN headquarters is located on US soil and is a key venue for international diplomacy. Peskov’s remarks reflected Moscow’s frustration with what it described as procedural obstacles that complicate diplomatic engagement at a critical venue for multilateral dialogue.