EU chief vows 'severe consequences' to isolate Belarus after plane diversion
- 3 years ago
An EU leaders summit will produce a "strong answer" to Belarus' forcing down of an airliner to arrest a dissident journalist, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said Monday. https://eudebates.tv/debates/eu-policies/enlargement-and-foreign-affairs/eu-leaders-agree-on-belarus-new-sanctions-with-air-space-ban/ An EU leaders summit will produce a "strong answer" to Belarus' forcing down of an airliner to arrest a dissident journalist, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said Monday.
#eudebates #Climate Belarus #Russia
Speaking as the leaders arrived in Brussels, von der Leyen said President Alexander Lukashenko "and his regime have to understand that this will have severe consequences.
EU wants to isolate Belarus after plane diversion
EU leaders are called on Monday to close their countries’ airspace to Belarusian aircraft and adopt a new package of sanctions against the regime of Alexander Lukashenko accused of having rerouted a European airliner to stop a dissident.
London and Kiev have already blacklisted the airspace of this former Soviet republic and the companies Lufthansa, SAS and AirBaltic have announced their decision to avoid its overflight.
The summit of the Twenty-Seven scheduled to last until Tuesday in Brussels began shortly before 8:00 p.m. (6:00 p.m. GMT). A working dinner will be devoted to foreign affairs, in particular the conflicting relations with Russia, which supports the Belarusian authorities.
Opponent Roman Protassevich, 26, and his partner were on board a Ryanair Boeing from Athens to Vilnius diverted Sunday to Minsk after a bomb threat that turned out to be false, according to Belarus. They were arrested at the airport and the young man, now detained in Minsk, the capital, said he “confessed” in a video broadcast by state television.
Mr Protassevitch is a former editor-in-chief of influential opposition media Nexta. According to Svetlana Tikhanovskaïa, the Belarusian opposition figure in exile in Lithuania, he risks the “death penalty”, which Belarus is the last country in Europe to apply.
The EU, the United States and the UN demanded the immediate release of this opponent imprisoned in Minsk.
“The European response will be very strong and will have serious consequences”, assured the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
A new package of sanctions prepared since May will be submitted to European leaders. “It is substantial, but it is only individual measures, even if it concerns economic operators”, a European diplomatic source said.
– “Absolutely not credible” –
Additional measures that will have an economic impact are also under discussion.
European leaders “do not want to let pass” the rerouting, described as an act of “state terrorism” by several capitals. Washington denounced “a forced hijacking”.
#eudebates #Climate Belarus #Russia
Speaking as the leaders arrived in Brussels, von der Leyen said President Alexander Lukashenko "and his regime have to understand that this will have severe consequences.
EU wants to isolate Belarus after plane diversion
EU leaders are called on Monday to close their countries’ airspace to Belarusian aircraft and adopt a new package of sanctions against the regime of Alexander Lukashenko accused of having rerouted a European airliner to stop a dissident.
London and Kiev have already blacklisted the airspace of this former Soviet republic and the companies Lufthansa, SAS and AirBaltic have announced their decision to avoid its overflight.
The summit of the Twenty-Seven scheduled to last until Tuesday in Brussels began shortly before 8:00 p.m. (6:00 p.m. GMT). A working dinner will be devoted to foreign affairs, in particular the conflicting relations with Russia, which supports the Belarusian authorities.
Opponent Roman Protassevich, 26, and his partner were on board a Ryanair Boeing from Athens to Vilnius diverted Sunday to Minsk after a bomb threat that turned out to be false, according to Belarus. They were arrested at the airport and the young man, now detained in Minsk, the capital, said he “confessed” in a video broadcast by state television.
Mr Protassevitch is a former editor-in-chief of influential opposition media Nexta. According to Svetlana Tikhanovskaïa, the Belarusian opposition figure in exile in Lithuania, he risks the “death penalty”, which Belarus is the last country in Europe to apply.
The EU, the United States and the UN demanded the immediate release of this opponent imprisoned in Minsk.
“The European response will be very strong and will have serious consequences”, assured the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
A new package of sanctions prepared since May will be submitted to European leaders. “It is substantial, but it is only individual measures, even if it concerns economic operators”, a European diplomatic source said.
– “Absolutely not credible” –
Additional measures that will have an economic impact are also under discussion.
European leaders “do not want to let pass” the rerouting, described as an act of “state terrorism” by several capitals. Washington denounced “a forced hijacking”.