Joe Biden He said this Saturday that he has not spoken with Vladimir Putin about the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) plane crash in which 38 people died, but stated that “apparently” what happened is the responsibility of the head of the Kremlin.
Without admitting any guilt, Putin apologized this Saturday to the Azerbaijani president, Ilham Aliyevfor the “tragic incident” in Russian airspace.
“Apparently he did, but I haven’t spoken to him.”Biden responded to a question about whether Putin should take responsibility for the plane crash that occurred last Wednesday in Kazakhstan.
The latest reports suggest that the cause of the accident, in which 29 people were also injured, could have been the Russian air defense system.
The plane failed to complete its flight from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia, and crashed in Kazakhstan.
Both the United States and Ukraine have pointed to possible Russian responsibility. in the plane crash of the Azeri plane.
The spokesman for the White House National Security Council, John Kirbystated the day before that there are “preliminary indications” that The plane may have been “shot down” by Russian forceswhile on the same day Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky said that “clear visual evidence at the point of impact points to Russian responsibility for the tragedy.”
Putin spoke by phone with Aliyev this Saturday, and said that “the Azarbaijani plane tried to land at the Grozny airport. At this very moment, the cities of Grozny, Mozdok and Vladikavkaz were under attack by Ukrainian combat drones, and the Russian air defense system repelled the attacks.”
The Russian leader did not claim responsibility for the crash, although he apologized to Aliev because it took place in Russian airspace.
“Vladimir Putin apologized for the tragic incident that occurred in Russian airspace, and He once again expressed his deep and genuine condolences to the families of the deceased.wishing a speedy recovery to those affected,” the statement indicated.
The Kremlin said that both heads of state discussed issues related to the accident “in detail”. It also indicated that it was cooperating “closely” with Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan in relation to what happened.
Meanwhile, Aliyev was direct in telling Putin that The plane was hit in Russia by “external physical and technical interference.”
“The head of state stressed that the multiple holes in the fuselage of the plane, the injuries suffered by the passengers and crew (…) and the testimonies (…) confirm the evidence of external physical and technical interference,” the Presidency said in a statement.
For her part, the High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallacalled this Saturday for a “rapid and independent” international investigation into the causes of the accident.
“I ask for a rapid and independent international investigation,” wrote the head of European diplomacy in a message on social networks.
To facilitate the “rapid and independent investigation into the accident to determine the exact course of events” requested by the European Commission, Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas today offered the help of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). ) to “provide technical assistance.”
“We are monitoring the situation and will not hesitate to take further measures following our alert to European airlines to avoid flying through the airspace of the Russian Federation, active since February 2022,” said the Greek politician, after underlining that “the “Safety and security of air travel remains one of our top priorities.”
(With information from EFE)
