US to reimpose sanctions on Belarus officials after plane diversion

The US government is drawing up targeted sanctions on Belarus officials for the diversion of the Ryanair jetliner flying from Greece to Lithuania on Sunday to arrest an opposition journalist.

The Biden administration said on Friday it is drawing up a list of targeted sanctions against key members of the Belarusian government following the former Soviet republic's forced landing of a passenger jet and arrest of a journalist on board. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the United States was also suspending a 2019 agreement between Washington and Minsk that allowed carriers from each country to use the other's airspace, and taking other actions against the government of President Alexander Lukashenko. In a statement, she called on Lukashenko to allow a credible international investigation into the events of May 23, when the Ryanair passenger jet flying from Greece to Lithuania was forced to land in Minsk.