Talks between Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin could take place as early as this month, the Kremlin has said. Despite the evident fury from Ukraine and its European allies about their lack of involvement, a settlement of the three-year war waged by Russia may be near.
The world’s biggest country remains an international pariah in the eyes of the UK and Europe. Both have imposed sanctions against Russian airlines, which are banned from British and EU airports and airspace; so too are carriers from Belarus, the Kremlin’s closest ally.
Yet despite the abhorrence at its invasion of Ukraine, Russia remains extremely well connected with much of the rest of the world.
Some of the world’s leading airlines – including Emirates, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines – are flying daily from their hubs to Russia’s biggest cities. And Russians seeking winter sun are spoilt for choice, with a vast range of flights to Turkish and Egyptian resorts, the Gulf and the Indian Ocean.
British travellers who choose to ignore the Foreign Office warning “against all travel to Russia” can readily find return flights from London Heathrow via Belgrade to Moscow or St Petersburg for £440 on Air Serbia. The flight path for the Air Serbia planes to the latter city crosses six EU countries: Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, before entering Russian airspace.
The main alternative from other UK airports is to change planes in Istanbul. Turkish Airlines and Pegasus compete for customers, with the latter charging £337 return from Manchester to Moscow.
“I have to wonder who would really consider Russia as a holiday destination in the wake of the war,” said Neil Taylor – travel guide writer and former tour operator to the Soviet Union.
“Most of my generation to whom I speak are reconciled to never returning to Russia.”
Tim White, who has been covering the conflict as a Ukraine correspondent on X (formerly Twitter), cautioned anyone tempted to travel to the world’s biggest country.
He said: “I think visiting Russia any time soon is a terrible idea. There are some amazing sights in the big cities, but it's ruled by an indicted war criminal who hates Westerners and British people in particular. It's just not safe.
“Think about how many ordinary people we hear about being arrested on trumped-up charges, simply because Russia needs a bargaining chip. We have seen the same thing in Iran this month.
“Flying to Russia, via any route, is doing your bit to say you are happy with Putin's actions: stealing children, ordering his soldiers to shoot dead prisoners of war, rape and murder civilians.
“Until those accountable are brought to justice, or until Ukraine agrees a complete peace deal of its own volition, I think we should all respect what Ukraine has suffered and continue to shun Russia and not help its economy so it can rebuild its battered military.”
Meanwhile, citizens of Russia have more choice of flights to the UAE than ever. From Moscow to Dubai, passengers can choose from four different airlines – including Emirates, which has put a high-capacity Airbus A380 on the route to meet the demand.
Dozens of other links connect Russian airports with other UAE cities, including Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah. Air Arabia serves six Russian cities from the Gulf, with fares from as little as £80 from Sharjah to Moscow.
Further afield, Muscovites can choose from nonstop flights serving several Indian Ocean destinations, including the Seychelles and the Thai island of Phuket.
At Antalya airport, a gateway for many British holidaymakers, the departure screens are full of flights to Russian destinations. But they must follow convoluted routes to avoid Ukraine. In normal times the flight to Moscow would be scheduled for around three hours – but the detour around Ukraine adds two hours to the journey.
The most extreme example is the daily flight on Belavia from Istanbul to Minsk, capital of Russian ally Belarus. The most direct route for a trip of less than 900 miles heads due north and passes over Romania, Moldova and Ukraine. But instead the Boeing 737 is routed east to Georgia, almost touching Kazakstan and crossing western Russia, taking five hours.
Azerbaijan Airlines, whose flight to Grozny was hit by an Russian anti-aircraft missile on Christmas Day 2024, continues to fly multiple daily services to and from Moscow, as well as links to St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg.
Ukrainian airspace remains closed, but Ryanair has vowed to launch services from Kyiv and Lviv to a range of European destinations within six weeks of the skies reopening.
