Belarus Forces Ryanair to Land in Minsk to Arrest Journalist

[San Lumen]

How do you know that?

Those people should have turned on him.

Why? He pays them and makes sure they have power.

They should have told him to go to hell after rigging the election and forced his ouster.

[Washington Resistance Army]

Why? He pays them and makes sure they have power.

They should have told him to go to hell after rigging the election and forced his ouster.

Plot twist: post-Soviet countries beyond the Baltics don't really care about democracy.

[Kowani]

Germany bans Russian flights from landing

[Shofercia]

So the US sanctions must refer to him as the President of Belarus in order to highlight his illegitimacy, right Lumen? You're more than welcome to argue that he rigged an election, but he/him is still the actual leader of Belarus, where you like it or not. That said, if you're going to continue calling he/him illegitimate, and continue to claim that "cows and dirt don't vote" I'll sanction all of your posts and view them as illegitimate.

Cows do vote. Lukashenko has really milked that electorate for its vote

Touche, one could even argue he was an International Harvester

How do you know that?

Those people should have turned on him.

Why? He pays them and makes sure they have power.

The Lumen Strategy:
1. Post that the Belarus Armed Forces should turn on Lukashenko repeatedly!
2. Hope that the Belarus Armed Forces read NSG
3. Blame the Belarus Armed Forces for not reading NSG and turning on Lukashenko
4. Move onto the next issue with massive repetition

Germany bans Russian flights from landing

Not quite. Russia started delaying certain EU flights that were rerouting from flying through Belarus. Germany decided to call Russia out and also started delaying, (rather than banning,) Russian flights flying through Germany or landing in Germany, as long as German flights are delayed, as per Germany's policy of reciprocity. Russia can either up the ante by delaying all German flights, (not just the ones rerouting from Belarus,) or stop delaying German flights. Germany also made it crystal clear that they'd rather not play the flight delaying game and resume commerce as normal, sans Belarus.

However, Russia has a slight edge, as Russians are more used to chaos than Germans, so Russians will have a higher tolerance for delayed flights, should Russia up the ante. It seems that the EU wants to sanction Belarus and move on, rather than turn it into another incident, and Russia wants to make the EU pay for each sanction imposed on Belarus. Thankfully both sides are being largely transparent and are telegraphing their moves.

[An Alan Smithee Nation]

Now Roman Protasevich has made a tearful confession on TV.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-57353413

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/op ... 021-06-03/

Probably under duress.

[Shofercia]

Now Roman Protasevich has made a tearful confession on TV.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-57353413

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/op ... 021-06-03/

Probably under duress.

Probably?

Mr Protasevich, 26, was arrested in Minsk last month after his flight to Lithuania was diverted. In a tearful appearance on state TV, he praised President Alexander Lukashenko

At that point I'd say that it was most definitely coerced.

In the interview broadcast on Thursday evening, Mr Protasevich admitted to attempting to topple Mr Lukashenko and said that he was speaking to the television channel by choice.

Admitted to attempting to topple Lukashenko - yep, that's true he certainly attempted. Speaking by choice? I've yet to see that one: "hey, I'm an idiot who fucked up a coup, and it's my choice to let ya'll know that I fucked up a coup, it's totally my choice, may my benign and amazing government, that I've attempted to topple, please not kill me!"

Although BBC's going to BBC: he burst into tears and said he hoped one day to marry and have children. The journalist's father told AFP TV that it pained him to watch the interview. "I know my son very well and I believe that he would never say such things..."

Kids and marriage? My son?! Never! He's got more coups to plan! I gotta say, Lukashenko's being rather bold here, but at least we know that Protasevich is alive and probably spilling the beans.

[The Huskar Social Union]

I mean do you see his wrists?