As a Russian citizen, EU and US need to get stop just "being concerned" and do more real stuff like this to put pressure on these dictatorships. We desperately need to get these bastards out of office and into the prison, and we need your help.
Today a Russian actually has way more freedom than they did in those days. Free travel and the internet have completely changed everything. It will be painful for the Russian people but the best thing western economies can do to hit Russia where it hurts is deny travel entry and conduct a total economic and telecommunication blockade. No credit cards, no internet, no travel, no student visas. Nothing.
The oligarchs know they can just live a western life style in Russia and still have a house in every tax Haven in the world. They send their kids to top universities in Europe and the United States while piliging the Russian people.
If you leave Moscow Russian roads are garbage, schools are falling apart, and vodka freezes when you put it in the freezer.
Russia is so vast that every Russian could be living in a Midwestern style mcmansion and yet everyone lives in gray falling apart квартири.
Revolutions aren't won by the people they are won by soldiers.
While I might agree with you in these post-modern times, this is not accurate to all of history.
Banning/sanctioning Belarus naturally drives the country further towards Russia. The EU attempts to offset this by simultaneously dangling a €3B carrot: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_21_...
For the EU airlines, losing overflight rights would make flights to China, Korea, and Japan about ~20% longer, but it would also mean that they wouldn't have to pay Russian overflight fees, which are about $400 million a year. Not paying these fees offsets some of the additional costs of going around, and Russia loses the overflight fees.
That Russia can make 400 m in fees means the fuel cost and cost of longer flights going around Russia is worth more.
Unlike some past ones that still frustrate me today:
Until everybody makes the right decision and you will not be able to fly anymore.
> Unlike some past ones that still frustrate me today:
> - https://danuker.go.ro/eu-copyright-directive.html
> - https://danuker.go.ro/gdpranoia.html
Welcome to EU. Its oppinon depends on the name of the person boarding the plane.
Is there even one country where that is not so?
What sort of intervention did you have in mind? And what's the "then what" plan for the subsequent twenty years?
Considering how a few of those countries ended up after forced/aided regime change, like Iraq, Lybia, Syria, why would anyone still think it's a good idea to be taken lightly?
If EU intervenes, Russia will too. And there's much more popular support for Russia than for EU. Belarus people know their economy is a museum of Soviet era remains bankrolled by Russia. Heading West would mean total economic collapse to rebuild the system. They're little North Korea in many more ways than mass media talks about.
The sad reality is EU/West can't win here.
Russia won't, because they're quite happy with the situation.
The EU won't, because Russia would intervene with any sign of Belarusian leaders getting 'sick'.
I'm guessing the bad vodka GP is referring to has been heavily diluted to having very low alcohol content causing it to freeze.
If EU airlines categorically can't overfly Russia, their only economic loss is the extra flying time, not the reduced ticket prices from taking longer, since their competitors are on the same playing field.
The winners in this would presumably be Turkish and the Gulf airlines.
Indeed, they do. No wonder the EU came out of what were essentially economic alliances.
They want Belarus isolated. It's ideal (for Putin's Russia) that the EU and US crack down harshly on Belarus, isolate them, and drive them into Russia's arms out of desperation. Lukashenko has been resisting a union with Russia for some time and using the West as a hedge, a way to create at least the illusion of an alternative to Russia's arms. With that gone, his options dwindle significantly, which is what Russia wants to see happen. There is nowhere else to turn, and few allies, other than Russia.
If you're Putin, what you want in this context, is for the economy of Belarus to get smashed to pieces, and Belarus to get entirely isolated politically in regards to the West.
Putin has been pulling his dick out, slapping it on the table and leering at what he wants for *everyone to see* before making his move to take what he wants.
There’s nothing secret about his plans. You’re just thick.
Why is what Russia wants of concern to the EU?
The EU gains from this action. Putin may too. That’s fine. The EU gains more than he does, and Belarus loses all the more.