EU Bars Belarusian Aircraft From Its Airspace in Response to Forced Ryanair Flight Landing

Belarusian carriers will no longer be allowed to fly through European Union airspace nor access EU airports, in response to the forced landing of a Ryanair flight in Minsk on May 23, the European Council announced in a June 4 news release. The move marks an escalation of existing council condemnations on Belarus over the arrest and detention by Belarusian authorities of journalist Roman Protasevich and his girlfriend, Sofia Sapega.