Lavrov threatens the EU: either if they want

“Those people who are responsible for foreign policy in the West and do not understand the need for a conversation of mutual respect; we will probably have to stop communicating with them for a while, especially since [Europos Komisijos vadovė] Ursula von der Leyen declares that a geopolitical association is not possible with the current Russian government, “Lavrov said in a statement at the Valday International Discussion Club.

“If you want,” he stressed.

Speaking about Russian opposition Alexei Navalna and the EU’s position on his poisoning, Lavrov stressed that the EU and Germany must comply with their international legal obligations in this regard.

“For Navaln, we want the European Union and Germany to also comply with international law. There is a convention on aid [tiriant] criminal process, the Single European Convention and its Protocols. We urge them and ask Germany to fulfill its obligations under these international legal instruments, “Lavrov said.

EU foreign ministers agreed on Monday in principle to support a joint Franco-German proposal to impose sanctions on Russian officials for poisoning Kremlin critic A. Navaln.

The ministers of the 27 countries, meeting in Luxembourg, reached a political agreement to begin work on measures based on proposals made by Germany and France last week. Both countries said Moscow was responsible for the poisoning of Novavicok, one of the nerve paralyzing substances created in the Soviet Union by Navaln, and said “Russia has not provided any convincing explanation.”

The United Nations Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) previously confirmed the conclusion of Germany, Sweden and France that Navaln had been poisoned with a substance that paralyzes the Novičiok group’s nerves.

Navaln’s family and comrades claim that the Russian authorities are involved in his poisoning. Moscow denies it.

According to Lavrov, he spoke by phone with the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell more than an hour earlier on Tuesday, setting out Russia’s views on the situation and the EU’s position on the matter.

“Russia wants to see if it is possible to work with the EU under current conditions,” said the Russian minister.

At the time, Borrell reaffirmed the EU’s readiness to continue working with Russia while respecting international law, Brussels said.

The EU diplomatic chief “reaffirmed the willingness of the European Union to keep its communication channels open with Russia and to expand cooperation on matters of mutual interest,” the European External Action Service (EEAS) said in a statement.

“The European Union will continue to defend its interests and values, including respect for international law and fundamental rights,” the report said.

Borrell said he had reached an agreement the day before with the EU Council to begin work to punish those responsible for “attempting to assassinate Russia’s opposition policy,” Mr. Navalna, “using a prohibited substance to paralyze the nerves”.

The head of community diplomacy “stressed that the Russian government must do everything possible to ensure that this crime is fully investigated with full transparency and that there is full cooperation with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons,” the report said. from Brussels.