The United States threatened Georgian companies with sanctions in the event of the resumption of direct flights with Russia. "If direct flights resume between Russia and Georgia, we, of course, will be concerned that companies in Georgia may be at risk of sanctions," State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said.
The day before, Russian President Vladimir Putin abolished the visa regime for Georgian citizens from May 15. He also lifted the ban for Russian airlines to fly to the republic.Moscow explained that the decisions taken are in line with Russia's principled approach to consistently facilitating the conditions of communication and contacts.