MOSCOW, May 26. /TASS/. Russia has noticed that Western countries have begun to speculate about the non-existent "hand of Russia" in the situation around the emergency landing of a Ryanair flight in Minsk, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Wednesday.
"We notice that our partners, mostly the Western ones, leaders, heads of government, official representatives and media outlets, mostly also the mainstream ones, are commenting on this situation in the context of some connection to Russia. The speculation began on the non-existent ‘hand of Moscow’ in this incident as well. <...> The close, friendly relations, as they say, of Russia and Belarus are being emphasized in this context. Apparently, for many it was a discovery that the Union State exists. Better late than never that our Western partners found out about it," she noted.
The spokeswoman cited remarks made by a number of high-ranking European politicians who "in an astonishing manner combine fact and falsehood." "I read the opinions of many and they didn’t surprise me, yet still there is a certain line both in decency and professional ethics," the diplomat added. In relation to that, she urged the European politicians to use the information of their analytical centers if they "themselves cannot clearly formulate" the facts.
Additionally, she noted that all these opinions were expressed before the results of an investigation into the incident and the conclusions of experts and are, therefore, groundless. "I would like to stress that we focused on the necessity to conduct the investigation - the objective, detailed one - unlike our Western partners who are used to acting based on the ‘highly likely’ principle," the diplomat added.
The spokeswoman also said that information put forward that four Russian citizens allegedly left the plane in Minsk was false, "No, four Russian citizens did not leave the plane. This has all been explained, all last names have been revealed," she explained.
Russia backed the investigation
The West will not give up attempts to peg any neural development to its policy directed against Russia, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman added.
"Even if something neutral event happens, regardless of whether it is related or not related with Russia, the West will never abandon attempts to peg it to or use it in the interests I have mentioned. By hook or by crook," Zakharova said while commenting on attempts by some Western countries to link the Ryanair plane incident in Minsk with Russia.
"Any additional events that are either induced by the collective West, or had been pre-programmed in advance, by no means influence the general trend of Rusophobic thought. We have calculated it, we have realized where the leaders of this collective West are directing all those who follow in its footsteps. Containment of our country, policy of sanctions and the maximum interference in our internal affairs," Zakharova said.
Moscow is calling against substituting the investigation into the emergency landing of a Ryanair flight in Minsk with political statements, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry told.
"Who decided to substitute the investigation based on existing rules and laws exclusively with political statements? This terrifying noise of many voices that we are hearing now," she said.
Zakharova also slammed the Ryanair statement issued following the incident as outrageous. "It was first made from one perspective and then it is hard to chase away the thought that it was changed under the pressure of political statements made by heads of states as well as the EU and NATO," the diplomat stressed.
"Russia backed the investigation which should clarify what happened <…> Why should this case be an exception? Are there any grounds to consider this incident not from the point of view of the investigation in the context of aviation security and flight safety but from political points of view," the spokeswoman added.
On the situation with the Ryanair flight
On May 23, a Vilnius-bound Ryanair plane that took off from Athens made an emergency landing at Minsk International Airport after a reported bomb threat. After the landing and inspection, no bomb was found inside. The Belarusian Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case into a false bomb alarm. Among the passengers on that flight was Roman Protasevich, one of the co-founders of the Nexta Telegram channel, which Minsk recognizes as extremist. Protasevich was detained by law enforcement officials once the plane had landed in the Belarusian capital. Russian national Sofia Sapega was also detained. On Sunday evening, the plane left Minsk’s airport and soon landed in Vilnius.
On Monday, EU leaders decided to block Belarusian airlines from landing at EU airports and flying over the EU, also advising European carriers to suspend flights in the country’s airspace. Additionally, the summit resolved to introduce new emergency sanctions against Minsk.