If the political will is there, the EU states can act quickly, very quickly.

Only one day after the forced landing of a Ryanair plane in Minsk and the arrest of an opposition member on board, the heads of state and government took action.

On Monday evening they agreed on far-reaching sanctions against the regime in Belarus, which overshadow everything that has gone before.

So the country should be completely cut off from European air traffic.

The state airline Belavia is said to lose all landing and overflight rights in the member states.

EU airlines should avoid Belarusian airspace because it is no longer safe.

Thomas Gutschker

Political correspondent for the European Union, NATO and the Benelux countries based in Brussels.

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    And that wasn't all. The EU foreign affairs representative Josep Borrell should immediately make further proposals as to how the regime of ruler Alexandr Lukashenko can be hit economically. This relates to sanctions against certain sectors of the economy. The EU could now target the energy and chemical industries. As the world's largest exporter of calcium carbonate, the country is dependent on the Lithuanian port of Klaipeda - and therefore has to be hit. The Lithuanian government on Monday brought up a ban on land transports on its own initiative. The EU foreign ministers, who will meet informally in Lisbon on Wednesday, will discuss concrete steps.

    It is also to be expected that the Council will shortly impose a fourth package of sanctions, including travel and property freezes, on the regime. It's been in preparation for weeks; in Brussels there is talk of the largest package to date. Since October, the member states have imposed punitive measures in three steps, including against the ruler himself and against his eldest son, Viktor, the National Security Advisor. Those affected include other political leaders and the government, senior officials of the Ministry of Interior and its troops, the chairperson of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly, the attorney general, several judges, the president of the state broadcaster and several important economic players.A total of 88 people and seven organizations are on the previous sanctions list.

    Before the meeting, legal experts in the Council and the Commission examined the option of depriving Belarus of landing and overflight rights. The result: the actions of the authorities in Minsk are a serious violation of the International Convention on Civil Aviation. Although the responsible authority ICAO in Montreal has to investigate this carefully, one cannot wait months for the result. In view of the severity, immediate and powerful action is necessary. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President Charles Michel campaigned in the European Council for harvesting without objection. Michel spoke of an "international scandal" that could not be tolerated, von der Leyen of a "kidnapping". There was also talk of “state terrorism”. It was probably also about deterring others.Russian President Vladimir Putin, who possibly supported the operation in Minsk with agents, could also resort to such kidnappings, diplomats pointed out.