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Updated May 25th, 2021 at 22:27 IST

Emmanuel Macron hails EU measures against Belarus

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday hailed EU measures agreed against Belarus, after the arrest of an opposition journalist in Minsk who was pulled off a plane diverted there in what the West called a state-sponsored hijacking.

AP
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French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday hailed EU measures agreed against Belarus, after the arrest of an opposition journalist in Minsk who was pulled off a plane diverted there in what the West called a state-sponsored hijacking.

In an unusually swift response to the arrest of Raman Pratasevich, EU leaders on Monday agreed to ban Belarusian airlines from using the airspace and airports of the 27-nation bloc and impose sanctions on officials linked to the diversion.

The dramatic arrest has put a spotlight on Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's iron-fisted rule and suppression of dissent - but it was not clear what effect the sanctions or other measures would have.

Speaking on the second day of an EU summit in Brussels, Macron also said leaders discussed the bloc's relationship with Russia.

"We need to reframe our relationship with Russia in a very profound way, so as not to be simply reactive," Macron said.

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Published May 25th, 2021 at 22:27 IST

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