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What did Europe do after the Ryanair diversion?
Summary
A look back at the reactions of the EU and NATO to the diversion of Ryanair Flight 4978, and at Ukraine's Eurovision result, as 28 May 2021 approached.
What had Europe done by 28 May 2021 in response to Belarus's diversion of a Ryanair flight? The reports from the days before that date point to a quick and firm response.
On 23 May 2021, NATO demanded an international investigation into Belarus's diversion of Ryanair Flight 4978. The demand was an early collective signal that the incident would not be treated as a purely bilateral matter.
The European Union went further the next day. On 24 May 2021, it banned all Belarusian airlines from using its airports and airspace in response to what it described as a hijacking. It also placed sanctions on officials believed to have been involved in the operation.
Taken together, the two steps showed the pattern of the response by 28 May 2021: a call from NATO for an independent inquiry, and concrete restrictions from the EU on Belarusian aviation and on named individuals.
A lighter note from the same week
Not all the news in the region was about confrontation. On 22 May 2021, at the 65th Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam, the Ukrainian group Go_A took fifth place.
The two stories were unrelated, but both were part of the news picture for Ukraine and its neighbours in the final week of May 2021.
