Belarusian chief heads to Russia amid showdown with EU

Belarus authoritarian chief heads to Russia Friday to hunt help amid a bruising showdown with the European Union over the diversion of a flight to arrest a dissident journalist.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is ready to satisfy with Russia Vladimir Putin at his Black Sea residence in Sochi for talks on nearer financial ties based on the Kremlin.
Belarus provoked the EUs outrage when Belarusian flight controllers on Sunday informed the crew of a Ryanair jet flying from Greece to Lithuania there was a bomb menace and instructed it to land within the Belarusian capital Minsk the place 26-year-old journalist Raman Pratasevich was arrested alongside along with his Russian girlfriend.
The EU responded by barring Belarusian carriers from its airspace and airports and advising European airways to skirt Belarus. The blocs’ international ministers agreed Thursday to ramp up sanctions to focus on the nation’s profitable potash business and different sectors of the Belarusian economic system which might be the principle money earners for Lukashenko’s authorities.
Lukashenko who has relentlessly stifled dissent throughout his rule of greater than 1 / 4 century defended his actions and lashed out on the West for attempting to strangle his nation with sanctions.
He stated Friday earlier than departing to Moscow that he hopes to achieve an settlement with Putin on restoring the air hyperlink between Russia and Belarus that has been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic
The 66-year-old Belarusian ruler has confronted months of protests following his re-election to a sixth time period in an August 2020 vote that the opposition rejected as rigged. He has responded with a wide-ranging crackdown with greater than 35000 individuals arrested for the reason that protests started and hundreds overwhelmed. The West has responded by slapping sanctions on Belarusian officers concerned within the voterigging and repressions towards protesters.
Amid Western stress Lukashenko has relied on political and monetary assist from his important ally Russia.
The two ex-Soviet nations have a union settlement envisaging shut financial political and navy ties and Moscow has helped buttress Belarus Soviet fashion economic system with low-cost vitality provides and loans. The ties nevertheless usually have been strained with Lukashenko scolding Moscow for attempting to drive him to relinquish management over prized financial belongings and finally abandon Belarus independence.
In the previous the Belarusian chief usually has tried to play the West towards Moscow elevating the prospect of a rapprochement with the EU and the United States to wring extra subsidies and concessions out of Moscow.
Such techniques not work after Lukashenko’s crackdown on protest final fall made him a pariah within the West and the flights diversion has now deepened his isolation. Many observers warn that he has grow to be simple prey for the Kremlin which can use Lukashenko’s weak point to push for nearer integration.
Moscow has provided Lukashenko fast political assist over the planes diversion cautioning the EU towards hasty motion till the incident is correctly investigated and arguing that Lukashenko’s actions have been consistent with worldwide protocols in case of a bomb menace.
On Friday Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova denounced the EU’s determination to ask European airways to keep away from Belarusian airspace as completely irresponsible and threatening passengers’ security.

Some within the West alleged Moscow’s involvement within the Ryanair flights diversion and warned that it might exploit the state of affairs to advance its perceived plan to include Belarus.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis charged Thursday that Lukashenko is taking part in with Putin and attempting and serving to Putin to annex the nation including that we must always ship the indicators to Russia as effectively that annexation wouldn’t go effectively with Europe.

Asked earlier this week if Russia had any position within the planes diversion German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated there was no confirmed data of Russia’s involvement noting that we will’t deal in hypothesis now.
Russian officers have angrily dismissed allegations of Moscow’s involvement within the incident.