Belarus plane diversion: US President Joe Biden calls incident 'outrageous'; EU imposes sanctions Two U.S. senators urged the Biden administration to prohibit U.S. airlines from entering Belarus airspace because of the incident. Share Via Email | A+A A- Opposition supporters wave a huge old Belarusian national flag as they rally in the center of Minsk, Belarus. (File Photo | AP) By Associated Press WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden on Monday said the forced diversion by Belarus of a commercial passenger jet so it could arrest an opposition journalist was "a direct affront to international norms" and condemned the action as an "outrageous incident."