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RThe US ambassador to the EU, Vladimir Chizhov, warns Europeans about new sanctions against their country for the recent events in the Navalnyi case: “I do not want to speculate on whether our partners will launch a new round of unilateral unilateral restrictive measures against my country. If that happens, we will be prepared to respond, “he told” Welt “shortly before the EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday.
The Russian ambassador criticized the decisions of “our partners in the EU” in Russian politics as “illogical and astonishingly politicized”. In recent years, the EU has systematically obstructed the development of relations with Russia, “on pretexts that were pulled by the hair.” On the contrary, Russia is a “reliable partner” that, in return, does not close the door.
“There will be no appeasement”
Luxembourg’s chief diplomat Jean Asselborn hopes that Russia’s dealings with Kremlin critic Alexei Navalnyi will face new sanctions. The EU must not tolerate human rights violations, Asselborn told the Germany publishing network: “There will be no appeasement in this matter.” In the language of diplomacy, “appeasement” means a policy of concessions and appeasement.
Asselborn stressed that the new sanctions had to be “legally binding” so that they “do not fall on our feet before the Court of Justice of the European Union.” At the same time, the Luxembourg Foreign Minister was skeptical that the new sanctions would have an effect on Russia. Relations between the EU and Russia have been in a serious crisis since the annexation of Crimea in 2014. “Unfortunately, it seems that we have not yet reached the lowest point,” Asselborn said.
According to diplomats, the EU’s foreign ministers want to make a fundamental political decision on new sanctions against Russia on Monday. Specifically, punitive measures should only be resolved later. The EU wants to use its new sanctions regime to violate human rights for the first time.
The reason for the new planned sanctions is the arrest of Navalnyi and the massive repression of the protesters who took to the streets for him. On Saturday, a Moscow court upheld Navalnyi’s sentence to about two and a half years in a prison camp. In addition, the prominent opponent of President Vladimir Putin was sentenced in another trial for defamation of a veteran of World War II to a fine equivalent to 9,500 euros.
Navalnyi was arrested immediately after returning to Russia from Germany in January. The Kremlin critic was treated in Germany after a poison attack in August. Navalnyi is accused of violating the conditions of probation by the Russian judiciary. As a result, his suspended sentence was changed to a detention center in early February. His appeal against this sentence has now been rejected.
