And simultaneously EU leaders have\u00a0barred\u00a0Belarusian airlines from flying over EU territory<\/strong>, which would be devastating to state-owned\u00a0Belavia’s operations and the Belarusian economy broadly. The UK on Monday confirmed that it has suspended the national Belarusian airline’s operating permit. Protasevich’s\u00a0girlfriend Sofia Sapega had also been detained. “European leaders meeting in Brussels called for the release of the pair and hit back at Minsk by agreeing to ban Belarusian airlines from the bloc and urging EU-based carriers not to fly over its airspace,”\u00a0Moscow Times<\/em><\/a>\u00a0reports.<\/p>\n Brussels has also confirmed it’s looking to expand and ramp up already in place sanctions against the country and its 27-year long strongman ruler\u00a0Alexander Lukashenko.\u00a0CNBC notes<\/a>\u00a0that the US will likely move on imposing its own measures in conjunction with the EU: “…the EU\u2019s decision to implement new sanctions Monday was welcomed across the Atlantic, and\u00a0President Joe Biden said the US\u00a0will look at imposing measures against Belarus too<\/strong>,” the report notes.<\/p>\n The\u00a0Ryanair\u00a0flight from Athens to Vilnius, Lithuania had been intercepted and escorted by Belrusian Air Force MiG-21 jets, which\u00a0US and EU officials have slammed as\u00a0putting the 170 passengers at risk<\/strong>. Americans had been among the international passengers on board.<\/p>\n Pratasevich had been arrested the moment the plane touched down in Minsk – after which there was near universal condemnation and outrage coming from the West over what many dubbed\u00a0“state hijacking”\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0“state terrorism”<\/strong>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/assets.zerohedge.com\/s3fs-public\/styles\/inline_image_mobile\/public\/inline-images\/belavia.jpg?itok=2VKdvFhd\")