In an interview with the Canadian publication The Globe and Mail, President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed concern over Iran dodging its responsibilities after downing the Ukraine International Airlines passenger plane in January.
Iranian forces shot down the Ukrainian plane on Jan. 8, amidst heightened tensions between U.S. and Iran, allegedly after mistaking it for a fighter jet. They killed all 176 people on board, most of whom were citizens of Iran and Canada.
Iran initially denied shooting down the plane, but soon recognized it and promised to cooperate on investigation and pay out compensation.
But now, according to Zelensky, Iran isn’t delivering on any of its promises.
“I hope that we will be able, eventually, to count on a result-oriented policy from the Iranian government,” Zelensky said. “Because it is not only that they don’t give us back the black boxes. It is also about their (other) promises. They have to give an official apology. They have to pay adequate compensations.”
If Iran continues to hesitate, Ukraine will sue.
“They have to do what they have promised,” Zelensky said. “Otherwise, we will have no other choice – and they know our position – but to resort to the international courts.”
Zelensky added that the excuses from the Iranian side, which blame the pandemic for the delay in compensations and flight recorders delivery, can no longer suffice saying.
“This problem cannot wait indefinitely because we have been waiting for quite a long time now,” he said.
Additionally, Iranian government stated in early June that the black boxes “do not contain valuable information,” Iranian state media reported. On June 22, following the publication of Zelensky’s interview to Globe and Mail, Iranian Foreign Ministry said it was ready to send the black boxes to France for analysis “in coming days.”
As for the promised compensations, Iranian authorities said on June 22 that “Ukraine didn’t yet appoint a delegation to negotiate compensations.”
