Belarus forced down a plane in Minsk while Europe watches paralysed
The forced landing of a Ryanair plane in Minsk on May 23rd should raise multiple questions for the EU and the Western community as a whole. What is the adequate response to such an incident? Are sanctions an appropriate tool to address this type of behaviour? And how can we effectively safeguard values such as human rights and freedom of expression in wider Europe?
“Ups, we did it again” – What EU (in)action on Belarus tells us about the EU as a „global actor”
Looking at recent developments in Belarus in August 2020 and the EU’s slow response, it becomes again clear that the EU needs a thorough reform in its CFSP decision-making to step up its game as a global actor and normative power.