Defiant Belarus leader slams EU sanctions on plane diversion

KYIV (AP):

Belarus’ authoritarian president lashed out on Wednesday at Europe for trying to “strangle” his country with sanctions over the diversion of a passenger jet, and he accused a dissident journalist arrested after the flight landed in Minsk of working to foment a “bloody rebellion”.

In a long, rambling speech to lawmakers and top officials, President Alexander Lukashenko defended his decision to tell the Ryanair flight to land in his country, maintaining his contention that there was a bomb threat against it. He called it an “absolute lie” that a fighter jet he scrambled forced the plane to land.

European Union (EU) leaders have denounced the move as an act of air piracy. Ryanair has said its crew was instructed to land. The plane was searched on the ground, and no bomb was found – but Raman Pratasevich, a 26-year-old journalist and activist, and his Russian girlfriend were detained.

LAWFUL ACTION

“I acted in a lawful way, protecting people in line with international rules,” said the 66-year-old Lukashenko, who has ruled the ex-Soviet nation with an iron fist for more than a quarter-century, relentlessly stifling dissent.

He fumed at the EU, accusing the West of waging what he said was “no longer just an information war, but a modern hybrid war” against his country of 9.3 million.

Lukashenko doubled down on the idea that there was a grave security risk, saying the plane was not far away from the Astravets nuclear power plant and that he had ordered air defence systems to high alert.

“We acted in strict accordance with aviation safety rules,” he said, claiming the crew hesitated for about a quarter-hour before following the Belarusian flight controllers’ directions to land in Minsk. “It’s the captain who makes a decision according to all instructions and rules, and we offered our help. The captain was thinking for 15 minutes and consulting the bosses and Vilnius airport staff.”

He said the crew hesitated for so long that Belarusian authorities no longer expected the crew to turn back to Minsk, since the plane was already near the Lithuanian border, but they did. The Belarusian MiG-29 was sent to help direct the Ryanair plane to land and facilitate communication in case of problems.

“They should have been thankful to us!” Lukashenko exclaimed. “We did everything to save people.”

But he also alleged that Pratasevich and his associates were working with foreign spy agencies to “organise a massacre and a bloody rebellion in Belarus”.

He also warned his other foes abroad that the authorities will go after them.