Tag Archives: Belarus

This afternoon.

Can this possibly end well?

British troops sent to Poland to assist with Belarus border situation (The Guardian)

Poland border: West condemns Belarus at UN over stranded migrants (BBC)

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This afternoon.

Via Reuters:

Poland accused Belarus of trying to spark a major confrontation on Monday as video clips showed hundreds of migrants walking towards the Polish border and some trying to breach the fence using spades and other implements.

Warsaw said it had deployed additional soldiers, border guards and police, while neighbouring Lithuania said it might introduce a state of emergency on its border with Belarus.

The European Union, to which Poland and Lithuania both belong, accuses Minsk of encouraging migrants from the Middle East and Africa to cross into the EU via Belarus, as a form of hybrid warfare in revenge for Western sanctions on President Alexander Lukashenko’s government over human rights abuses.

Poland said it had withstood the first attempts on Monday by the migrants to force their way across the border.

Poland blames Belarus as migrants try to force their way across border (Reuters)

This morning.

Iveagh House, Dublin  2.

Simon Coveney, Minister for Foreign Affairs, with Belarusian democratic opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who is challenging President Alexander Lukashenko for power in Belarus.

Ms Tsikhanouskaya, who spent her younger Summers in Roscrea, county Tipperary on a programme for children affected by the Chernobyl disaster, will address the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs later.

Meanwhile…

This morning.

Iveagh House, Dublin 2.

Simon Coveney, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, with his Slovenian counterpart, Foreign Minister, Dr. Anže Logar, during an official visit.

Slovenia has supported sanctions against Belarus following the forced landing of a Ryanair Lithuania-bound flight to Minsk and the arrest of an opposition activist and blogger critical of President Lukashenko.

Julien Behal Photograph/RollingNews

This afternoon.

Brussels, Belgium.

A masked up Taoiseach Micheál Martin in town for a special meeting of the European Council attends a gathering of Renew Europe, the largest ‘centrist’ group in the European Parliament.

Asked about the Belarus plane jacking, he replied:

“Mmmmfff arummf.”

More as we get.

Earlier: Aviation Piracy

Roman Protasevich was detained in the Belarusian capital yesterday after Ryanair flight FR4978 was diverted to Minsk shortly before it was due to leave Belarusian airspace

Last night/this morning.

Roman Protasevich was a co-founder of the Nexta TV channel which was declared extremist by Belarus authorities last year after helping to organise mass demonstrations against President Alexander Lukashenko,.

He subsequently fled to Poland and currently faces charges which could carry a prison sentence of up to 15 years.

Minsk’s airport had released a statement saying the aircraft had to make an emergency landing there at 12.15pm GMT following a bomb scare.

the government’s press service said on its own Telegram channel that the president had given the order to divert the flight and had ordered a Mig-29 fighter jet to accompany the plane.

Meanwhile…

This morning.

Forced Ryanair landing state-sponsored ‘aviation piracy’ – Coveney (RTE)

Getty/AP