EU meets to decide response to Belarus hijacking of Ryanair plane
Issued on: Ryanair flight FR4978 which was forced to divert to Minsk PETRAS MALUKAS AFP 3 min EU leaders are to meet on Monday to agree how to respond to the forced diversion to Belarus of a Ryanair plane bound for Lithuania on Sunday. Advertising Read more
France s Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Sunday summoned the Belorus ambassador on Sunday following the incident.
Le Drian tweeted earlier in the day that the act was unacceptable and called for a “firm and united response” from the EU.
Le Drian tweeted that the action was unacceptable
European countries, the United States and the United Nations have condemned Belarus after authorities there forced a passenger plane carrying a wanted journalist to divert and land in its capital.
In what was described by some European Union leaders as a “hijacking”, the passenger plane flying from Greece to Lithuania on Sunday was suddenly diverted to Minsk and escorted there by a Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jet.
After landing, authorities took journalist Roman Protasevich into custody.
The incident comes as the EU is set to discuss toughening its existing sanctions against Belarus, imposed over President Alexander Lukashenko’s crackdown on opposition protesters, at a preplanned summit on Monday.