Russia is poised for a break with the European Union if the EU imposes new crippling sanctions amid a dispute over the treatment of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the country’s top diplomat warned on Friday.
In response to a question about Moscow’s willingness to break ties with the EU, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in television comments that Russia does not want to be isolated, but must increase its self-sufficiency to face possible EU sanctions. HUH.
“We don’t want to be isolated from international life, but we must be ready for that,” said Lavrov. “If you want peace, you must prepare for war.”
In this photo taken on Friday, February 12, 2021, and provided by the Babuskinsky District Court, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is in a cage during a hearing on charges of defamation at the Babuskinsky District Court in Moscow, Russia . (Babuskinsky district court press service via AP)
Asked whether Russia is moving towards a division with the European Union, Lavrov replied: “We assume that we are ready for this.”
He emphasized the importance of economic ties with the EU’s 27 nations, adding that Russia will continue to engage in mutually beneficial cooperation. At the same time, Lavrov said, Russia must prepare for the worst and increasingly rely on its own resources.
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“We have to achieve this in the economic sphere, if we see again, as we have felt more than once, that the sanctions imposed in some areas create risks for our economy, even in the most sensitive spheres, such as the supply of parts and components,” he added. the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized that Russia wants to maintain normal ties with the EU, but needs to prepare for the worst if the bloc takes hostile actions.
In this photo released by the Press Service of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks during a meeting in Moscow, Russia, on Wednesday, February 10, 2021. (Press Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia via AP)
“If we face a destructive course that will damage our infrastructure, our interests, Russia must be prepared in advance for these hostile measures,” said Peskov during a call with reporters when asked about Lavrov’s comment. “We must be self-reliant. We must guarantee our security in the most sensitive strategic areas and be prepared to replace everything that we could be deprived of national infrastructure if madness prevails and such hostile actions occur.”
European Commission spokesman Peter Stano said on Friday that the EU welcomes “mutually beneficial cooperation whenever the other side is ready for such cooperation and dialogue”, adding that Russia “has indicated that it is not really willing to go in that direction “.
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German Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Andrea Sasse described Lavrov’s comments as “really disconcerting and completely incomprehensible to us”. She told reporters in Berlin that Foreign Minister Heiko Maas made Germany’s complaints to Russia clear, but also emphasized that “we are interested in cooperation with Russia”.
Relations between Russia and the EU have reached a new level with Navalny’s arrest and imprisonment. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent political opponent was arrested on January 17 on his return from Germany, where he spent five months recovering from the nervous agent poisoning he attributed to the Kremlin. Russian authorities have denied the charges.
In this photo released by the Press Service of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, on the right, and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, wearing a mask facial for protection against coronavirus, greet each other before their talks in Moscow, Russia, Friday, February 5, 2021. (Press service of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs via AP)
Last week, a Moscow court sent Navalny to prison for two years and eight months for violating the terms of his probation while recovering in Germany. Parole resulted from a 2014 embezzlement conviction that Navalny rejected as fabricated and which the European Court of Human Rights found illegal.
Navalny returned to court on Friday on charges of defaming a World War II veteran who appeared in a video last year announcing constitutional amendments that allowed an extension of the Putin government. Navalny called the people in the video “corrupt puppets”, “people without conscience” and “traitors”. He rejected defamation charges as part of the Kremlin’s efforts to discredit him and could face a fine or community service if convicted.
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European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said after visiting Russia last week that the 27-nation bloc must take a firm stand in its relations with Russia and consider further sanctions after Navalny’s prison sentence. While Borrell was meeting Lavrov, Moscow announced the expulsion of diplomats from Germany, Poland and Sweden for participating in protests in support of Navalny.
The three EU countries responded on the same Monday, each expelling a Russian diplomat.
In this photo released by the Press Service of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, on the left, welcomes Josep Borrell, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, for a joint press conference after their talks in Moscow, Russia, Friday, February 5, 2021. (Press service of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs via AP)
Borrell said he plans to make proposals for possible actions against Russia when he chairs the next meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers on February 22.
Navalny’s arrest sparked a wave of protests across Russia that drew tens of thousands of people to the streets, the biggest display of discontent in years. The authorities responded with strong repression, detaining about 11,000 people across Russia. Many protesters were fined or sentenced to prison ranging from seven to 15 days.
The United States and the European Union urged Russia to release Navalny and end the crackdown on protests. The Kremlin accused them of meddling in Russia’s internal affairs and said it would not listen to Western criticism of Navalny’s condemnation and police actions against his supporters.
Lavrov accused the West of seeking “Russia’s aggressive restraint” to punish the country for its independent foreign policy.
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“The sanctions would not bring any results. They would not change our course of defending our national interests,” said Lavrov.