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Authors: Robins Emots and Philip Blinkinsops
Lukashenko (Reuters) – The European Union will discuss on Monday greater economic sanctions against Belarus, including airlines, to increase pressure on President Alexander Lukashenko, whom he accuses of helping illegal immigrants enter Poland and the Baltic states.
The tightening of sanctions will follow the comprehensive measures imposed on the Belarusian economy in June following Lukashenko’s repression of protesters following his contested re-election in August 2020. Protesters say the election is rigged, which he denies.
Several EU countries are now also accusing Lukashenko of encouraging illegal immigrants, many from Iraq, Iran and Africa, to enter the EU through the soil of Belarus in a vengeful “hybrid war” aimed at destabilizing the bloc.
“We need to impose tougher sanctions – and this means that the so-called tour operators that operate flights must be sanctioned,” said Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēviks when he came to a meeting with his EU colleagues in Luxembourg.
“I also think we need to punish all Bellavia so that it does not receive any support,” he said, referring to the national airline. Although Belavia is already banned from flying over EU airspace, it still leases aircraft from EU countries, especially Ireland.
Since August, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia have reported an increase in illegal border crossings from Belarus. They accuse Minsk of transporting migrants from abroad and sending them to the European Union.
Mr Lukashenko has denied the accusation and has blamed the West for what he considers to be an impending humanitarian catastrophe this winter after migrants are trapped and frozen on the Belarusian-Polish border.
Germany, the EU’s largest member state, Austria and EU senior diplomat Joseph Borrell expressed support for a number of sanctions on Monday.
Ireland has shown caution that Belavia should be immediately banned from leasing aircraft, given its legal obligations under existing contracts, although Foreign Minister Simon Covenant has said it is ready to block further deals.
“While Ireland wants to increase sanctions and put pressure on the Belarussian regime, we also need to make sure that this is possible and possible,” he told reporters in Luxembourg. (Additional reports by Sabine Ziebold; Editing by Garette Jones)
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