Kremlin says no reason to disbelieve Lukashenko airline narrative

The Kremlin said Wednesday there was no reason to doubt statements made by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, who has defended his decision to intercept a Ryanair flight and arrest an opposition activist onboard.

“The Kremlin sees no reason not to trust statements from the leadership of Belarus,” Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, shortly after Russia’s ally Lukashenko addressed lawmakers in Minsk and defended the move to ground the Ryanair aircraft.

The Belarus strongman claimed the flight on Sunday was ordered to be grounded following a bomb threat that was sent from Switzerland.

“If this is not the case, then, probably, someone will refute it. There are no refutations yet,” Peskov said.

The Kremlin’s spokesman added that talks between Lukashenko and Putin were scheduled for Friday in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi.

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