US drawing up Belarus sanctions after Ryanair plane diversion

White House also calls for ‘a credible international investigation’ into the forced landing of a Ryanair plane in Minsk.

The United States announced punitive measures against Belarus as Russia offered President Alexander Lukashenko support in his standoff with the West over the forced diversion of a European plane and the arrest of a dissident. In a statement on Friday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki called the events of May 23 a “direct affront to international norms” and said Washington – in coordination with the European Union – was drawing up a list of targeted sanctions against key members of Lukashenko’s government. She also announced the suspension of a 2019 agreement that allowed US and Belarusian carriers to use each other’s airspace and called for “a credible international investigation” into the forced landing of the Ryanair plane.