Putin slams West’s censure of Belarus, recalls US-led hijacking of Bolivian president’s plane

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the West's reaction to the grounding of a passenger jet and the arrest of a dissident was "an outburst of emotion." 

Putin made the remarks in a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Sochi on Friday, during which he also reminded the Europeans of the forcing down of the plane carrying former Bolivian president Evo Morales on US orders.

"At one time they forced the Bolivian president's plane to land and took him out of the plane and nothing, silence," Putin said, referring to a 2013 incident in which Morales' presidential aircraft was forced to land in Austria at a time the US was trying to intercept whistleblower Edward Snowden.

Based on US-supplied inaccurate intelligence that Snowden, who had exposed America’s massive electronic snooping efforts across the globe, was on board the Bolivia-bound aircraft, the plane was hijacked mid-air and searched after the forced landing.

The talks between Putin and Lukashenko in the Black Sea city of Sochi were planned prior to the plane incident -- in which dissident blogger Roman Protasevich, wanted in Belarus on terrorism charges, was detained along with his Russian companion -- but came after many European states imposed flight bans on Belarusian aviation as the EU is mulling further sanctions.

West threatens reprisals after Belarus diverts plane over bomb scare, detains dissident figure

Belarus diverts a Lithuania-bound passenger flight following a reported bomb threat and then detains a dissident activist on board the plane, sparking fierce censure by US and European officials.

During the meeting, Lukashenko told Putin he would share with him confidential documents about the Ryanair incident to explain what really happened.

"There is always someone who causes problems for us. You know about them, I'll inform you," Lukashenko told Putin as reported by media outlets. "I brought some documents so that you understand what is happening."

Russia says Belarus has demonstrated a readiness for transparency in the row with Western governments. It has described the West's reaction to the plane incident as "shocking," with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov slamming Western effort to "demonize" the authorities in Minsk.

The US and allied European countries have accused Belarus of piracy after Belarusian air traffic control on Sunday informed the Ryanair pilot of a hoax bomb threat and scrambled a MiG-29 fighter jet to escort the passenger plane down.

After searching the aircraft, local authorities arrested Protasevich and his girlfriend, who remain in custody on charges of inciting mass riots in Belarus following the reelection of Lukashenko late last year. He could be sentenced to a prison term of up to 15 years.

US planning new sanctions against Belarus

The Biden administration has announced plans to draw up a list of targeted sanctions against key members of the Belarusian government allegedly involved in forced landing of the Ryanair flight.

White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on Friday that the US was also suspending a 2019 agreement between Washington and Minsk that allowed carriers from each country to use the other’s airspace, and taking other measures against Lukashenko’s government.

In a statement, Psaki demanded that Lukashenko allow a credible international probe into the May 23 plane incident, adding that the US, along with the EU and other allies, was developing a list of targeted sanctions against key members of Lukashenko’s government “associated with ongoing abuses of human rights and corruption, the falsification of the 2020 election, and the events of May 23.”

US President Joe Biden also announced on Tuesday that sanctions against Belarus were “in play.”

The US treasury department will develop an executive order for Biden to sign that will provide increased authorities to impose sanctions on elements of Lukashenko’s government, and the US will reimpose “full blocking sanctions” on nine Belarusian state-owned enterprises on June 3, prohibiting Americans from dealing with those businesses.

EU's flight ban on Belarus endangering passengers safety: Russia

Russia decried the European Union for “endangering” the passengers after the EU told the bloc

In a scheme to ramp up internal pressure against Lukashenko, the European Union has also announced that it will provide Belarus with three billion euros in grants and loans if the country “changes course.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also came close to calling for a regime change in Belarus as she issued the pledge of funds in return for a purported “transition” to democracy.

The offer was made shortly before Lukashenko had arrived in Sochi for a summit meeting with his Russian counterpart.

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