EU discusses sanctions against Aeroflot due to the crisis with migrants at the Belarusian-Polish border – Bloomberg

The European Union is discussing possible sanctions against the Russian company Aeroflot. About it reported Bloomberg publication citing an unnamed EU official. Turkish Airlines may also be subject to sanctions. This is due to the crisis on the border between Belarus and Poland, where the number of migrants trying to enter the EU is increasing every day. In addition, according to the newspaper, the United States and Great Britain are preparing their sanctions, but whether they will affect Russia is not specified. The sanctions are expected to be introduced in early December.

Earlier, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen called for sanctions. According to her, it is necessary to take tough measures, including against international airlines accused of delivering migrants to Minsk with their further transportation to the Belarusian border.

On November 10, the crisis was discussed over the telephone by Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. She asked Putin to influence the situation, noting that “the exploitation of migrants by the Belarusian regime in the fight against the European Union is inhuman and completely unacceptable.” According to the Kremlin, Putin told Merkel that the EU should discuss the issue with Lukashenko.

It was also reported that next week the European Union plans to introduce a new package of sanctions against 30 individuals and legal entities of Belarus, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Belarusian airline Belavia.

By data BBC, migrants get to Minsk by Belavia, Turkish and Qatar airlines, as well as the budget airline FlyDubai. The movement of migrants from the airport to Minsk, and then to the Lithuanian or Polish border is well organized, the newspaper writes. However, it is not known by whom.

Earlier, The Insider wrote that on November 8, a large group of refugees was noticed in Belarus near the highway leading to the border with Poland. Later they tried break the barbed wire fence and enter the EU. On November 9, two large groups of migrants managed to break through the Polish border. They broke through the fence in the area of ​​Krynok and Bialowieza.

A meeting of the crisis headquarters was held in Warsaw with the participation of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense in connection with the events on the Polish-Belarusian border. On November 9, the Seim (Parliament) of Lithuania adopted a resolution that introduces from November 10 a state of emergency on the border with Belarus. Advisor to the leader of the Belarusian opposition Svetlana Tikhanovskaya Franak Vyachorka told The Insider on what countermeasures the Polish and EU authorities are discussing and why Lukashenka is escalating the migration crisis.