Angela Merkel says Belarus' story completely implausible and demands immediate release of journalist
- 3 years ago
Chancellor Merkel on Monday dismissed Minsk's explanation for having forced an airliner to land in Belarus and arresting a dissident on board. https://eudebates.tv/debates/eu-policies/enlargement-and-foreign-affairs/special-euco-to-focus-on-belarus-russia-hybrid-methods/ "We have seen a forced landing that led to the arrest," Merkel said as she arrived at an EU summit where sanctions will be discussed. "All other explanations for the landing of this Ryanair flight are completely implausible."
#eudebates #Climate Belarus #Russia
Merkel's comments came after Germany joined a list of European countries to summon their Belarusian ambassadors, amid shock over Minsk's forced landing of a plane and subsequent arrest of a dissident journalist.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas had already dismissed the Belarusian authorities' assertion that there had been a credible security threat to the plane.
"The explanations given so far by the Belarusian government for the forced landing of a Ryanair plane in Minsk are absurd and not credible," Maas said.
The minister said Minsk needed to be transparent about the welfare of activist journalist Raman Pratasevich and his partner. He called for the immediate release of the pair.
The EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell had earlier called for an international investigation over the plane's grounding.
"In carrying out this coercive act, the Belarusian authorities have jeopardized the safety of passengers and crew," Borrell said in a statement issued on Monday.
"An international investigation into this incident must be carried out to ascertain any breach of international aviation rules," the statement went on.
What happened?
On Sunday, a Ryanair jet flying from Athens to Lithuania was intercepted by a Belarusian fighter jet and diverted to Minsk International Airport after being told a bomb was on board.
No explosives were found on the aircraft, but Pratasevich, a 26-year-old former editor from the Minsk-critical Telegram channel Nexta, was allegedly taken into custody. The channel played a major role in helping organize mass rallies against Lukashenko last year.
Pratasevich is a known critic of Belarus' long-time leader Alexander Lukashenko and his government.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel expects further discussions with the United States on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project after the administration of President Joe Biden waived sanctions on the company behind it, she said on Tuesday.
“There will certainly be further discussions and talks about Nord Stream 2 with America,” Merkel told reporters after a summit of EU leaders. US-German tensions over Russia-backed Nord Stream 2 pipeline. US sanctions against the pipeline are ‘not OK,’ Chancellor Angela Merkel chancellor says.
The new U.S. administration is just as opposed to the Russia-backed Nord Stream 2 pipeline as the old one — setting up a Berlin-Washington standoff.
#eudebates #Climate Belarus #Russia
Merkel's comments came after Germany joined a list of European countries to summon their Belarusian ambassadors, amid shock over Minsk's forced landing of a plane and subsequent arrest of a dissident journalist.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas had already dismissed the Belarusian authorities' assertion that there had been a credible security threat to the plane.
"The explanations given so far by the Belarusian government for the forced landing of a Ryanair plane in Minsk are absurd and not credible," Maas said.
The minister said Minsk needed to be transparent about the welfare of activist journalist Raman Pratasevich and his partner. He called for the immediate release of the pair.
The EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell had earlier called for an international investigation over the plane's grounding.
"In carrying out this coercive act, the Belarusian authorities have jeopardized the safety of passengers and crew," Borrell said in a statement issued on Monday.
"An international investigation into this incident must be carried out to ascertain any breach of international aviation rules," the statement went on.
What happened?
On Sunday, a Ryanair jet flying from Athens to Lithuania was intercepted by a Belarusian fighter jet and diverted to Minsk International Airport after being told a bomb was on board.
No explosives were found on the aircraft, but Pratasevich, a 26-year-old former editor from the Minsk-critical Telegram channel Nexta, was allegedly taken into custody. The channel played a major role in helping organize mass rallies against Lukashenko last year.
Pratasevich is a known critic of Belarus' long-time leader Alexander Lukashenko and his government.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel expects further discussions with the United States on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project after the administration of President Joe Biden waived sanctions on the company behind it, she said on Tuesday.
“There will certainly be further discussions and talks about Nord Stream 2 with America,” Merkel told reporters after a summit of EU leaders. US-German tensions over Russia-backed Nord Stream 2 pipeline. US sanctions against the pipeline are ‘not OK,’ Chancellor Angela Merkel chancellor says.
The new U.S. administration is just as opposed to the Russia-backed Nord Stream 2 pipeline as the old one — setting up a Berlin-Washington standoff.