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| - EU leaders will debate tougher sanctions against Belarus on Monday after President Alexander Lukashenko's regime scrambled a fighter to force a European airliner to land and arrested a dissident onboard. Journalist Roman Protasevich and his girlfriend were detained at Minsk airport on Sunday after Ryanair flight FR4978 was diverted from its Athens-to-Vilnius route, after what Belarus alleged was a bomb threat. The forced landing of a commercial flight carrying more than 120 civilians between two EU nations sparked international condemnation and commandeered the agenda of Monday's EU summit in Brussels. "The outrageous and illegal behaviour of the regime in Belarus will have consequences," EU chief Ursula von der Leyen tweeted. "Those responsible for the Ryanair hijacking must be sanctioned." Some European leaders immediately pressed for a range of tough options. Lithuania and France called for Belarusian airspace to be blocked and aircraft from the country stopped from landing in EU airports. Italy labelled the action a "state hijacking" and Belarus' neighbour Poland called it an "act of state terrorism." A statement from EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on behalf of 27-member bloc insisted an "international investigation into this incident must be carried out to ascertain any breach of international aviation rules". "The EU will consider the consequences of this action, including taking measures against those responsible," it added. EU members have already slapped sanctions on 88 regime figures -- including targeting strongman leader Lukashenko himself -- over a crackdown on protests since an internationally-rejected election in August. The bloc was already working on a new round of measures that was expected to see dozens more officials added to an asset freeze and visa ban blacklist in the coming weeks. Those sanctions could now be expedited and Brussels is expected to propose more measures in response to the forced landing of the airliner, an EU source said. "We are working on a package of measures, beyond simple individual sanctions," a French diplomatic source said, citing a complaint to the UN International Civil Aviation Organization. Measures could also include a ban on land-based freight transport. "We are assessing the situation and do not rule out any action," the source warned. So far Lukashenko has managed to shrug off sanctions from the EU and the United States and to cling to power with the backing of close ally Russia. On Monday, Minsk defended its forced diversion of the plane, while Moscow mocked the West's indignation. The EU's ability to speak with one voice on foreign policy is often limited by internal divisions. Last week, for example, Hungary highlighted the lack of consensus by refusing to sign up to a statement calling for a Middle East ceasefire. The bloc has been more united on its approach to the crackdown in Belarus, but lawmakers still sounded the alarm over the signal any disagreement would send. "Those member states' governments which obstruct joint EU action act as agents of the dictator," said Sandra Kalniete from the conservative European People's Party. While Belarus has elbowed its way into prime spot on agenda, the leaders were already due to discuss the bloc's long-term approach to Russia. Tensions have surged between Moscow and the EU after retaliatory sanctions against top Brussels officials and tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions involving a string of countries. A copy of the draft conclusions seen by AFP said the leaders would condemn "illegal and provocative Russian activities". They were also expected to ask Borrell to draft a report for them on the bloc's overall strategy towards Moscow that they would discuss at another summit in June. del/dc/dl
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