U.S. intends to impose sanctions on Belarus after Ryanair’s plane is rerouted

The White House also called for a “credible international investigation” into the forced landing of a Ryanair plane in Minsk.

U.S. announces punitive measures against Belarus as Russia provide President Alexander Lukashenko supported his stalemate with the West over the forced diversion of European aircraft and the arrest of a dissident.

in a statement On Friday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki called the May 23 incident a “direct insult to international norms” and stated that Washington is coordinating with the European Union to develop a list of targeted sanctions against key members of the Lukashenko government.

She also announced the suspension of the 2019 agreement allowing the U.S. and Belarusian Airlines to use each other’s airspace and called for a “credible international investigation” of the forced landing of Ryanair planes.

The Belarusian authorities urgently activated a fighter jet last week, flagged a false bomb warning, forced the plane to land, and then arrested the journalist Roman Protasevich on board.

The 26-year-old man was detained and charged with plotting riots. This is related to the historic protest against Lukashenko that broke out in August last year after the controversial election.

Several people were killed in the unrest, thousands were arrested, and hundreds reported being tortured in prison.

Protasevich-working for Poland’s Nexta Live channel, which broadcasts protests-could be jailed for up to 15 years.

Many European countries have imposed flight bans on Belarusian airspace, and EU officials have stated that proposals for key sectors of the Belarusian economy (including the petroleum products and potash sector) have been “on the table.”

The White House also issued a warning to American citizens of “do not travel” in Belarus, and warned that American airliners must “be extra careful” if they consider flying over Belarusian airspace.

‘Emotional Outburst’

At the same time, Washington re-imposed economic sanctions on nine Belarusian state-owned companies after suppressing democratic protests in April, which will take effect on June 3.

Pasaki said in a statement that further US actions against Belarus may also target “those who support corruption, violate human rights, and attack democracy.”

Before the announcement by the United States, a completely different scene was staged in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, where Russian President Vladimir Putin received Lukashenko for talks.

Putin stated that he was “very happy” to meet the Belarusian leader and agreed with him that the Western response was an “emotional explosion.”

“Once, they forced the Bolivian President’s plane to land and took him out of the plane. There was nothing, silence,” the Russian president said, referring to the forced landing of Evo Morales’ plane in 2013. The events that fell in Austria when the United States tried Intercept the whistleblower Edward Snowden.

At the same time, Lukashenko complained that the West was trying to stir up chaos in his country, saying that he was “trying to shake up the situation to reach the level of last August.”

The Belarusian leader who arrived with a briefcase told Putin that he would show him some confidential documents about the Ryanair incident to help him understand what really happened.

“Someone is always causing us trouble. You know them, and I will notify you,” Lukashenko told Putin.

“I have brought some documents so that you can understand what is happening.”