Airlines to face sanctions over Belarus flights – EU's Von der Leyen

Berlin – The European Union (EU) will act with further sanctions, including against airlines, to tackle Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's "perfidious" treatment of migrants, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said.

EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels yesterday were expected to decide further sanctions against Belarus and against the airlines that are flying migrants from the Middle East to Minsk in order to take them to the EU's eastern border.

"We are also trying to help the countries of origin," she told a conference in Munich.

"Russian president Vladimir Putin has influence over Lukashenko and he needs to use this influence. Coming days will be decisive."