"It constitutes a new and extremely dangerous phase in the Belarusian authorities' campaign of repression against its own people," said a statement from the UN representation of Estonia, supported by France, Ireland, Belgium, Germany, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States.

They added the incident was "a blatant attack on international civilian aviation safety and European security".

France, the UK and the US are permanent members of the UN Security Council, Estonia, Ireland and Norway are current members and Belgium and Germany are former members.

Together they demanded an investigation into the incident and a release of the blogger Roman Protasevich, who was detained after the forced landing in the capital Minsk.

Earlier, Estonia, Ireland and Norway raised the issue on the sidelines of a UN Security Council meeting.

However, a joint statement by all 15 members of the Security Council failed, among other reasons, due to Russia's opposition.

A Belarusian passenger plane flying from Minsk to Barcelona turned back on Wednesday, data from website Flightradar24 showed, after Poland said it may not be able to enter French airspace.

European Union leaders have directed officials to draw up new sanctions against Belarus and work out a way to ban Belarusian airlines from the bloc's skies after a Ryanair flight carrying Protasevich was forced to land in Minsk.

Belarusian state carrier Belavia flight 2869 from Minsk had been scheduled to land in Barcelona on Wednesday afternoon.

"This pilot received information from us that the French airspace was blocked ... and he may have a problem with entering," Polish Air Navigation Services Agency spokesman Pawel Lukasiewicz said by telephone.

Belarus foreign ministry spokesman Anatoly Glaz called the move "air piracy" while Belavia said a ban on flights from Minsk to Paris, received earlier from the French aviation authorities, initially did not include a ban on passage through French airspace.

Australian Associated Press