This file photo taken on Jan 20, 2021 shows the White House in Washington, DC, the United States. (PHOTO / XINHUA)
The Biden administration said on Friday it is drawing up a list of targeted sanctions against key members of the Belarusian government following the Ryanair flight diversion incident.
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 diverted to land in Minsk.
READ MORE: Belarus faces EU curbs after plane diversion
President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that sanctions against Belarus were “in play”, without giving details
The Irish airline said that the flight FR4978 from Athens to Vilnius was diverted to a Minsk airport as crew on the plane had been alerted to a possible security threat by Belarusian authorities, but nothing untoward was found.
The United States last year imposed sanctions on eight Belarus officials over an August 2020 election that the West said was rigged.
President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that sanctions against Belarus were “in play”, without giving details.
The Treasury Department will develop an executive order for Biden to sign that will provide increased authorities to impose sanctions on elements of Lukashenko's government, and the United States will re-impose "full blocking sanctions" on nine Belarusian state-owned enterprises on June 3, prohibiting US persons from dealing with those businesses.
ALSO READ: Putin offers Lukashenko support against West in Ryanair incident
On Friday, when discussing the aftermath of the Ryanair incident with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said, "there has been an attempt to stir up the situation."
On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that the reaction of Western countries to the Ryanair incident was "hysterical" and it is essential to analyze all the data before jumping to conclusions.
