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- According to diplomats, the EU wants to decide on new sanctions against Russia on Monday.
- The reason is the latest court rulings against Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.
- Shortly before the meeting of the EU foreign ministers, Moscow warned of new sanctions.
In the Navalny case, the EU has been demanding the release of the Kremlin critic for about three weeks, without success. In Brussels, Russian government agencies are supposed to be behind the attack on Navalny.
Moscow rejects this as interference in internal affairs. The 44-year-old was convicted in early February because, from the judge’s point of view, he repeatedly violated parole conditions in previous criminal proceedings in 2014 for fraud and embezzlement.
In an appeal process last Saturday, the Judiciary confirmed the incarceration in a prison camp. Also on Saturday, Navalny was fined for allegedly insulting a World War II veteran.
Russia could break relations with the EU
Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn accused Moscow of being aggressive and unrealistic in the Navalny case. Relations between the EU and Russia have been in serious crisis since the annexation of Crimea in 2014.
“Unfortunately, it seems that we have not yet reached the lowest point,” Asselborn told the German publishing network. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov does not even want to rule out that his country breaks relations with the EU. “That’s deep,” says Asselborn. However, the EU will not tolerate human rights violations.
Moscow threatens the EU
Even before the talks of the EU ministers began, the first threat from Moscow was on the table. Russia’s ambassador to the EU, Vladimir Chizhov, warned Europeans about new sanctions against his country. “If that happens, we will be prepared to respond,” he told the “world.”
“In any case, Russia’s actions will be based on facts and analysis and not on guesswork and emotion,” he announced. Many of the EU’s decisions have so far been “illogical and staggeringly politicized”.
Due to the attack on Navalny, which was later dealt with in Germany, the EU had already imposed entry and property bans on people suspected of being in charge of those around President Vladimir Putin last year.
