Rutte pleased with rapid, united EU response to Belarus
Dutch caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte expressed his satisfaction over the fast response the EU took against Belarus after the country forced a Ryanair flight to land so it could arrest an opponent journalist. The leaders of the 27 member states were quick to agree to impose a new round of sanctions on Belarus, potentially banning its aircrafts from using European airspace, asking European airliners to avoid Belarusian airspace, and with more economic sanctions pending.
"I have never experienced it myself that we as government leaders were so fast in resolving something. It shows how seriously we take this", said Rutte after the meeting in Brussels on Monday.
In addition to cutting air links with Belarus, European Union leaders also agreed on further economic sanctions against the country which will be presented soon, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. There are so far no indications what the newest set of measures against the country will look like, but Europe could block European investment in the country.
"We have a 3 billion euro economic and investment package ready to go for Belarus, when it becomes democratic," she said on Monday.
"It is a country with many state-owned companies. You can therefore assume that the Belarusian government will feel the sanctions," said Rutte. He earlier said that such sanctions would hit the pocketbooks of Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko "and his cronies."
On Sunday, Belarusian authorities forced a Ryanair flight from Greece to Lithuania to land in the Belarus capital of Minsk over a false bomb threat the country alleged was from Hamas. Roman Protasevich, a 26-year-old opponent journalist and activist was then arrested along with his girlfriend.
Rutte demanded that both be released from custody and allowed to travel to Vilnius, Lithuania.
Belarusian authorities released a video of Protasevich on Monday in which he claims to be in good health and appears to admit to crimes he was accused of by the Belarusian government.
Numerous activists, including the country's main opposition leader, criticized the video and suggested the statements were likely made under duress. His mother said he was experiencing severe heart trouble.
