Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the rapprochement with Belarus on Friday, amid European criticism after the diversion of a plane, upon receiving his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko in Russia who denounced Western attempts to “destabilize” his country.

This visit by Lukashenko to the Russian seaside resort of Sochi, on the shores of the Black Sea (south), takes place when Belarus is subject to sanctions by the European Union (EU), which accuses it of diverting a plane to detain a opponent.

Putin praised the “concrete results” of the rapprochement with Belarus on Friday, upon receiving Lukashenko.

“We are building a union” strengthened between the two countries, Putin declared. “We are moving firmly in this direction (…) and this work is already giving concrete results for our citizens,” he added.

On Sunday, Belarus diverted a flight between Athens and Vilnius to Minsk, a move the country's authorities said was necessitated by the bomb alert they received, and which led to the arrest of a dissident journalist on board the plane. .

For the EU, which immediately asked airlines to avoid Belarusian airspace, the bomb alert was a hoax.. “It is very clear what they want from us, these Western friends,” Lukashenko told Putin.

“There is an attempt to destabilize the country so that the situation is like last August,” referring to the wave of protests against the regime.

“Irresponsible”

For Russia, Belarus has been transparent in this case.

Instead, it accuses the 27-member EU of “irresponsible behavior endangering passenger safety” by asking airlines to avoid Belarus, ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

This EU decision led to the cancellation of several Air France flights, and Austrian Airlines announced the cancellation of its flight from Vienna to Moscow after Russian authorities rejected a rerouting to avoid Belarusian airspace.

Some in Europe fear that these are Russian retaliatory measures, which the Kremlin denied, citing “technical” reasons.. The Russian air authority Rossaviatsia explained the delay in confirming flight plans by “increased demands from airlines.”

The Belarusian president this week rejected accusations by Western countries, which consider that the plane was diverted to detain journalist Roman Protasevich.

Lukashenko defended the diversion of the plane as a legal action “to protect his people” from an alleged bomb threat on the plane, claiming he was unaware that Protasevich was on board.

bomb alert

However, suspicions that the bomb alert was staged have been reinforced by two elements.

Switzerland-based Proton Technologies, which has the address of the email account from which the bomb threat was sent, revealed that “the message was sent after the plane was diverted.”

The Dossier.center site publishes for its part a photo presented as the one in said email, whose sending time is 09:57 GMT. But the transcript of the conversations between flight FR4978 and Belarusian air traffic controllers, released by Minsk, states that the pilot was informed of the threat at 09:30 GMT, and a minute later was advised to land in the Belarusian capital.

The Belarusian authorities assured that the Minsk airport had received an electronic message signed by the Islamist movement Hamas informing that there was a bomb on board.

The Belarusian investigative committee on Friday denied the set-up accusations, saying in a statement that several threatening messages were received on Sunday at 09:25 and 09:56.

The Montreal-based International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) “decided to carry out an investigation into the facts.”

Protasevich, who was detained at the Minsk airport along with his girlfriend Sofia Sapega, was last seen in a video released by Belarusian authorities last Monday, in which he allegedly admits to helping organize mass riots, a charge that could carry 15 years in prison.

The mother of the opposition journalist launched an emotional appeal on Thursday night from Warsaw.

“I want you to convey our request to the world, to government representatives, to EU leaders, to American leaders: I cry out, I beg you, help me free my son,” said Natalia Protasevich.