Monday, May 24, 2021
Update
Lithuania advise with USA
Von der Leyen speaks of “kidnapping” in the Ryanair case
There is growing outrage in the EU over Belarus’ action to arrest an opposition activist. The international community will discuss the case. In the evening, the President of the Commission made it clear in which direction the assessment would go. Meanwhile, Lithuania is demanding a response from the West.
After the forced landing of a Ryanair passenger plane in Belarus and the subsequent arrest of a government critic, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks of a “kidnapping”. “Those responsible for the Ryanair hijacking must be sanctioned,” tweeted von der Leyen. She also called for the immediate release of the blogger and journalist Roman Protasewitsch and said that the EU heads of state and government would discuss how to proceed on Monday. Lithuania is counting on a common response from the West. The US spoke of a shocking act on Belarus
Washington condemned the stopover and arrest “strongly”. The government of ruler Alexander Lukashenko put the lives of more than 120 passengers at risk, “including US citizens,” said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. “Initial reports that indicate the involvement of the Belarusian security services and the use of Belarusian military aircraft” are “deeply worrying”.
Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said he spoke to US Viza Foreign Minister Philip Reeker about the incident. It had been discussed “that the unprecedented event must find a strong transatlantic reaction”. The Lithuanian Public Prosecutor’s Office has now launched a criminal investigation into the matter. Among other things, it is about the possible hijacking of an aircraft for terrorist purposes and the violation of international treaties, the authorities said. Lithuania’s Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said several people who landed by plane in Vilnius, Lithuania on Sunday evening had been asked to testify immediately.
The authorities in Belarus forced Ryanair’s Boeing plane to land on its way from Greece to Lithuania on Sunday. The pilots of the Ryanair plane with 170 passengers on board were forced to turn due to a suspected bomb alarm, and a military jet escorted them to Minsk Airport in Belarus. Also on board was the exiled Roman Protasevich, an avowed opponent of the Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. He was arrested in Minsk. The machine later continued its flight with the remaining passengers.
Belarus airline banned from EU?
EU Council President Charles Michel had already announced that the incident would be a topic at the EU summit. “Consequences and possible sanctions will be discussed on this occasion,” said his spokesman. The EU has already imposed sanctions on Belarus in connection with the controversial re-election of Lukashenko and his tough crackdown on government opponents. Further measures against high-ranking representatives from Belarus were also being planned.
According to an EU representative, the Belarusian airline Belavia could now also be banned from landing at airports in the EU and all transit traffic from Belarus to the EU could be suspended. In addition, flights by EU airlines via Belarus could be suspended.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg spoke of a “serious and dangerous incident” and called for an international investigation. The Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki called the incident an “act of state terrorism”. Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas sharply condemned the Belarusian approach and demanded the release of Protasevich. The German government was “very concerned about reports that the journalist Roman Protasevich was arrested in this way”.
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