Already Today, EU Leaders Will Discuss Possible Sanctions Against Belarusian Authorities

• 24.05.2021, 8:37

The meeting will be held in Brussels in person.

Spokesman for the head of the European Council, Barend Leyts, said that the Belarusian authorities' hijacking of Ryanair could not be left without consequences.

It is reported that the issue of imposing sanctions against Belarus will be raised at the meeting of the European Council.

We remind that a number of leaders have condemned the situation. U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Lithuania, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Germany and the United Kingdom called on the International Civil Aviation Organization to immediately investigate into violations of free transit between the states.

The statement says that until this is done, it is necessary to close the sky over Belarus, including the cancellation of flights in the country.

The day before the International Civil Aviation Organization said it would conduct an investigation.

Some countries are calling to ban Belavia planes to land at airports of the EU.

We remind that Lukashenka brought a fighter jet and a military helicopter to make the Ryanair plane, following the route Athens-Vilnius, to land. There was journalist Raman Pratasevich on board the plane. He and his girlfriend were detained.