EU introduces sanctions against Belarus

The EU has decided to ban Belarusian airlines from European skies after a flight was diverted to Minsk on Sunday and a dissident journalist arrested, Report informs, citing RBK.

At a meeting in Brussels, the leaders of the 27 member states also told EU airlines not to fly over Belarus and promised further economic sanctions.

Roman Protasevich, 26, was on a flight from Greece to Lithuania, rerouted over a supposed bomb threat.

Western countries accused Belarus of "hijacking" the Ryanair plane.

US President Joe Biden on Monday (local time) welcomed the European Union's call for sanctions against Belarus over the Ryanair flight's emergency landing, and he has instructed his administration to craft options to hold Minsk accountable.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has called on the European Union not to approach the incident at Minsk airport with double standards.